


How to Grow a Rose

by sscallalily



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: And Learning to Cope, Eventual Romance, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, everyone is nice because I hate when people are mean :(, new experiences, past trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27410581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sscallalily/pseuds/sscallalily
Summary: *Moving to Pelican Town*Cons:- bugs- have to learn to plant- have to learn to care for animals- animal droppings ><- house probably ugly mess- farm probably bigger mess- meeting new people- internet??? probably bad- no mall....or like any cool stores- inconsistent finances- am i out of shape? probably- BUGS- THE BUGSPros:- might be treated like a person
Relationships: Sam/Female Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 30
Kudos: 57





	1. average was nowhere near good enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, you don't understand. I am OBSESSED with Sam and his ridiculous spiky haircut.

Viv stared hard at her haggard reflection. She wished the bathroom walls were thick enough to block out the ringing of office phones, but she supposed that company could never get anything right. She let out a shaky breath and rubbed at her eyes. She'd already spent twelve minutes of her fifteen minute break crying. She needed to get herself together in three minutes or else someone would notice. And if someone noticed, then they'd talk, and she didn't need people talking about her crying in the bathroom. 

What was she supposed to do? It was like crying on the job was becoming her thing. Everyday someone yelled at her, or laughed at her, or insulted her. She was average, and average was nowhere near good enough. That much was made blatantly obvious to her. She dealt with awful, entitled people on the phone and awful people with unrealistic standards around her. She didn't understand how some of her coworkers could be happy at that job. What were they doing differently that allowed them to end their work day with a genuine smile? What was she doing wrong?

The bathroom door banged open, making her jump. She locked eyes with one of her supervisors in the mirror, whose eyes narrowed. Viv smiled quickly, with closed eyes, and let out a quiet hello.

"Are you crying?"

"Hmm?" Viv feigned surprise. "Oh, because my eyes? No, I have allergies."

"Allergies?"

"Yes," Viv said, turning to look at her supervisor head on.

"Does this happen a lot?"

"Well, I usually take some allergy meds, but I forgot to today. I'll go home and get them on my lunch and it won't happen again."

"Ah, I was wondering why you were being sloppy today." Her supervisor looked away from Viv just as her face fell. 

"I've been sloppy?"

"Sloppier than usual. You really need to put some more effort in. Isn't this your livelihood? I know I need the money from this job to take care of bills and my kids. I'm sure you have bills, too. We all do. Lately, though, you've been treating this job like it isn't what's keeping you off the streets. Does that seem right to you, Viviana? Does it seem fair that you and your colleagues are earning the same wage when they're working 100 times harder than you?"

Viv couldn't believe they were having that conversation. In the middle of the bathroom.

"Ma'am, I--"

"Maybe you should just head home."

"Pardon?" she squeaked.

"Our company is customer-obsessed, Viviana. Those customers help us keep our lights on. When they call us, they expect a 5-star conversation. They expect a friendly and capable employee to provide them with everything they need and more. They do not expect, nor deserve, a sniveling, unhappy representative."

"No, I'm okay. I really am. You don't need to send me home." Viv knew pleading wouldn't get her anywhere, but she hoped. That was the only thing she had. 

"I'll let the others know you left." Her supervisor ignored Viv's following words and walked into a stall. "Don't talk to me while I'm in here or I'll fire you."

Viv gaped at the off-white stall door as her supervisor laughed. She looked around the bathroom, as if there was something in that dingy room that would give her a good reason to stay. She looked at her watch. She'd only been there a couple hours. That would mess with her budget. But she could think about her budget later, because at that moment she felt the tears well up in her eyes again.

Viv violently wiped her eyes before rushing out of the bathroom and to her cubicle. She tried to be quiet as she gathered her stuff, as to not alert those around her. She took a quick peak at the camera watching above her before moving back to her things. She put her necessities back into her bag and grabbed her stationery to place back into the desk drawer. It was when she opened it that the purple seal of her grandpa's letter caught her attention.

She stopped, though she wasn't sure why. She'd read the letter long ago, perhaps a week after his death. She'd long since known he'd left his farm to her, and she'd long since thought about what moving out there would be like. In three words: not worth it. What she needed to do was keep looking for a better job in the city. She didn't have the capacity to take a farming gig in a town that wasn't even big enough to really be considered a town.

But.

What if.

She shook her head. She'd already made a pros and cons list. The cons side was leagues longer than the pros. In fact, she could only think of one positive to moving out there.

But.

But, wasn't it enough?

Wasn't it more than she got in the city?

She was alone there. Alone and unhappy. Company management treated her like garbage. They acted like her and her coworkers weren't the ones keeping that location afloat. Some of her coworkers were mean, and those who weren't kept mostly to themselves, just like she did. She didn't have any friends, even though she'd tried to talk to the nice people so many times. She thought there had to be something wrong with her, but maybe it wasn't her.

Viv put her bag strap over her shoulder and grabbed her coat before walking out of the cubicle area and up towards the supervisor offices. She went into the first one, where the supervisor was looking out at the cubicles through a large window. Creepy, she thought. She cleared her throat. He ignored her. She knocked on the door frame. He ignored her. 

"Excuse me, sir. I'm sorry I didn't bring this up formally two weeks ago, but I'm quitting." She said as she took a step back, getting herself ready to quickly leave as soon as he acknowledged her statement.

"What?" He started to turn. 

"Viviana quits. Bye!" She turned and ran, ignoring his calls for her to return. Luckily, everyone was still working, so she didn't encounter anyone but the distracted front desk lady as she ran out the building and into the chill late morning air. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath before running to her car, never looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've never worked a corporate job, but I do work in retail for a huge company so I think I know a thing or two about being treated like garbage >.-


	2. she cried some more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know there aren't any roads...but Lewis has a truck and Seb has a bike so there has to be some way for people to drive around......right? Lets pretend~
> 
> Also I changed around a few things (like no welcome and an already open spa/train track area) because...I wanted to.

Viv had to admit it: she had no idea how anything worked. She had the deed, so was that enough for her to just...move in? She presumed it was, and that led her to a rustic little place in the middle of an overgrown farm. She almost didn't want to get out of her car. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the wheel and willed herself to get out. Not like there was any other option. Or, she supposed that wasn't right. She'd been living with a married couple (they hadn't been married when they all first became roommates, mind you) and they were capable of affording the place on their own. She figured they never kicked her out because she had nowhere else. They seemed happy at the prospect of finally started their life as a married couple living alone, but regardless they told her she could move back if things didn't work out. She was at least happy for their generosity, but she hoped she didn't have to go back.

She opened the door and pulled herself out of the car, immediately slipping on a stray log and falling face-first into some rocks. She spent the next half hour crying as she tried to stop her nosebleed. Then she laughed at herself, as she was happy she was only covered in blood and not sporting a broken nose. Was there even a doctor nearby? She vaguely remembered reading about a clinic when she was researching the place, but it was so long ago she could hardly remember. 

She pulled herself up and moved to her trunk to start pulling out the few suitcases, bags, and boxes she'd been able to fit in her car. She grabbed what she could in two arms and made her way to the front door of the farmhouse, desperately hoping the wood on the steps and front porch was well off enough for her not to fall through. Her hopes were...partially met. She broke through the first step, but from there the wood kept up, though it seemed to strain under the weight of her and her things. She'd carry less on her next trips.

The lock on the door looked rusted, but she was able to put in the key and unlock it. Opening the door didn't reveal much, as the windows were boarded up and no light filtered through. She pulled out her phone and shined her flashlight, which revealed a large spider dangling in front of her. She hoped the rest of the town didn't hear her scream as she stumbled backwards onto the front porch. She hit the railing, which gave away, causing her to fall backwards onto the dirt in front of the house. She cried some more as she lay there, but she had to at least be happy there hadn't been any rocks or logs.

She didn't want to say it was a mistake. She didn't want to give up. She expected that much, didn't she? Grandpa had died when she was a kid. It had been over a decade ago. There was no way his little farmhouse would be in good shape or free from critters. She'd told herself the entire drive that she had her work cut out for her. But it was different when she was actually faced with it.

She sat up and gave herself a few light slaps on the face. She rolled up her sleeves and made her way back onto the porch, grabbing her things to take them back to the car. She didn't want to have them in there when there were all matters of bugs or critters that could get onto or into her stuff. Once her things were safely back in the trunk, she pulled open the passenger door and pulled out the duffel bag of cleaning supplies she had packed. 

She'd have to clean before she took her stuff in.

Thus, she spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning every nook and cranny within the farmhouse. Overall, it was easier than she expected, as it was so small and there wasn't any furniture. She probably could have finished much earlier if she didn't have to take time to psych herself up before every section. The bathroom especially. That one was bad, which was bizarre to her given the fact that no one had lived there for so long. Perhaps it was just that she felt bathrooms were inherently grosser than other parts of a house. 

Once night fell, she'd finished cleaning and moving her stuff from the car to the house and was able to finally relax. She would have preferred to relax with a nice, long shower, but unfortunately the utilities were off, and had presumably been turned off long ago. She at least had pond water to clean and a battery-powered lamp to keep everything lit up through the night, but she was so dirty and she felt like she'd cry again if she didn't get clean. She briefly considered bathing in the pond nearby, but with her luck she'd contract some flesh-eating bacteria. Better safe than sorry. 

She pulled out a town map she'd printed off before driving there and her eyes lit up when she saw what she'd suspected was in the mountains: a bathhouse. She'd have to walk up there, but the prospect of a bath was too tempting to listen to her aching muscles. She grabbed her clothes and began making the long journey up to the bathhouse.

A journey she sorely regretted as soon as she began. 

She should have just gone with the flesh-eating bacteria.

By the time she'd made it up to the mountains, her body was hurting so bad she thought she might pass out. She wasn't used to so much physical activity. Sure she'd take her roommates' crusty dog on a walk every other day, but that was on purely flat land. She had to get used to it, though, because being a farmer was going to be extremely physically taxing. She'd have to do all kinds of things that she wasn't--

All thoughts flew out of her head when she reached the end of the path going east. There was a house there, a pretty big one. This was the first other house she'd seen in Pelican Town, as she was able to drive to the farm without going through the rest of the town. She spent a bit of time looking, but there was only so much she could see from her vantage point, and she was afraid of getting closer. She turned away to walk up the path going straight to the bathhouse, finally noticing a little tent some ways away with a campfire burning in front of it. She panicked and rushed to the path, hoping no one would see her, especially in the state she was in. 

And then, finally, the bathhouse came into view. She let out a weak cheer of joy upon seeing it. She walked up to the door and...carefully, quietly...opened it. It was once she opened the door that she thought of the possibility of it having been locked, and she thanked whatever entities were out there for not messing with her more than they already had that day. Once inside, she was face-to-face with two doors, each for a separate gender. 

She began to make her way towards the women's side when she heard some commotion from the left. Her heart stopped and she froze. When it was clear the origin of the commotion wasn't making its way towards the door (and thus her) she was finally able to move again. She was unsure what the sound was. She hoped the place wasn't haunted, and that it was just some other people in there. But that could be scary, too. She was a woman alone in a bathhouse at night. There were scarier things in life than a ghost.

"Hey!" 

She jumped. The yell was loud, followed by boisterous laughter. There were definitely men in there. She considered leaving, but she tiptoed closer to the left door and pressed her ear carefully up against it in hope that she could hear what they were saying.

"--the point, anyways? There's no one here watching to make sure we stay on our sides. If we wanna have a nice gender-inclusive weight-lifting challenge, who can stop us?" 

"Lewis is already on our ass about everything we do. You wanna be accused of doing obscene shit in the bathhouse? Our moms would never let us live that down."

"Who cares about what our moms think?"

"You should, idiot. We live with them."

A loud sigh. "Yeah, I guess you're right. We should get our own place. Maybe have your mom build us something nice."

"Fuck that. If I'm gonna get my own place it's not gonna be in this town."

"Yeah, yeah, ride out to Zuzu, blah, blah, blah. Spot me, man."

"Yeah, I guess you need it."

Viv pulled back. The boys in there seem preoccupied. As long as she didn't make a lot of noise, she should be fine. With a new sense of determination, she quietly made her way into the women's locker room. She peeled her clothes off her damp skin and rinsed herself as quickly as she could under the cold water of the showers. While donning nothing but a towel, she wondered what she was supposed to do. Did she go in naked? Was it more pool-like, with bathing suits necessary? She bit her lip as she wondered whether one of the lockers would have the answer. She felt bad about it, but she peaked into one. 

A frilly swimsuit.

"Okay," she breathed. She'd packed a swimsuit just in case, so she quickly pulled the two-piece on before making her way to the entrance of the bath portion. There was an onslaught of steam and it took her eyes a bit to adjust to the inside, but once they did, she thought she might die. 

She thought it was gonna be separate! 

But it's like a pool!

Those boys could walk in at any time!

She started to turn back, but the heat wafting off the water beckoned to her. She groaned. She was so tired. Her muscles ached so bad. The hot water would feel so good, wouldn't it? And she walked all the way there. She would feel even more defeated if she ended up leaving without taking some time in the water. And there was always the chance that no one would walk in on her. 

So she turned back towards the water,

and leapt in.

And, oh my gosh, was she so happy she did. It was everything she'd wanted. It was the one good thing to happen that day. There was a little ledge on one side where she could just sit and relax. She was sure she could spend hours there. She thought she might spend hours there. She was already going to be walking back in the dark, so what was the harm? 

She almost didn't hear the steps making their way out of the men's locker room and towards the water. Her eyes shot open and she turned towards the sounds. The sounds were so close, there was no way she could make it out of the water and into the locker room without being seen. All she could do was sit there and wonder what she'd done to deserve such terrible luck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts perhaps~


	3. You mean cornering you in a spa isn't trustworthy behavior?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this while playing Animal Crossing.

There was a good thirty seconds of uncomfortable silence once the two boys saw Viv in the water. She kept opening her mouth to say something, but nothing more than tiny squeaks would come out. What was she? Was she a rat?? Did she not know words? Eventually, one of her squeaks did end up coming out sounding like a "hi," but whether the boys understood her or not was unknown to her. Though, one of them--the blond--did take a step forward.

"Hi, are you from around here?" He asked.

"Uh," she said.

"I'm Sam. This is Sebastian." Sam smiled at her, though Sebastian looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. 

"Sorry, I'll leave." Viv said as she quickly moved to pull herself out of the water. Sam took a step forward, his arms raised.

"You don't have to go. The spa isn't just for the town, it's for anyone. You're welcome here, too." His words prompted a rather scathing look from his friend, though Viv didn't take it personally. It was definitely weird to encounter some random person in your town's bathhouse.

"I'm gonna go. You staying?" Sebastian's words were quiet. Sam nodded and Sebastian walked out.

"Sorry about him. He's not so great with people." Sam said as he slowly made his way towards the other end of the water, like she was an animal he didn't want to scare away.

"I get it. People can be tough." She pressed herself further against the edge as he got into the water. "I'm Viv, by the way. My grandpa owned the old farmhouse to the west. I don't know if you knew him? He left it to me back when he died, and I only just now decided to come over here."

"Oh, so you're not just a rando? That's cool. Though I don't really remember your grandpa. Maybe my mom would." 

"He died a long time ago, so that's not surprising. I'm hoping at least...Is Lewis still the mayor?" 

"Yeah," Sam said with a slight side-eye.

"I have to talk to him. Get all this figured out." Viv had tried to push back the thought of talking to the mayor for as long as she could. She wished she could just move into the house and not talk to anyone about it. Well, she supposed she _could_ , but eventually someone would notice and would most definitely be in her business. People didn't mind their own business in places like Pelican Town, and she didn't want to be accused of being a squatter. The best course of action was for her to talk to the mayor, who would then relay the info to everyone else without her needing to do anything. At least she hoped she wouldn't have to do anything.

"He lives in town." Sam blinked before smiling and rubbing the back of his head. "I guess that's probably a given. I could show you where he lives, if you want."

"He lives in the manor, right? I have a map. I think it's by the graveyard? I'm sure I'll be able to find it." 

"Wanna know the best time to visit?" 

"Yeah, that would be great, actually." She smiled.

"Hm, tomorrow is Monday so that might make things a little difficult. He spends most of the day at some local shop doing...mayor things, I guess. But he's usually home around 5 so you could probably just go by to his place around that time and talk to him."

"What about Tuesday?"

"Ah, I think he goes to Pierre's and spends most of his time there on Tuesdays. And then is home around 5. Truth be told, I wake up pretty late and don't go out very early unless I'm heading to work. Sorry I can't be more help with that." He laughed quietly.

"That's alright. I'll figure something out." 

From there, Sam began to ask her a laundry list of questions on why she was moving. She didn't dive too deep into it, but she did mention that she was tired of her corporate job and wanted something fresh. She explained that she had no idea how to be a farmer, but she was willing to learn. In return, he answered her own questions.

Was the internet a thing? Yes, but she'd have to talk to Lewis to set it up, and maybe the farm wouldn't get the best connection given how far it was. Sebastian's house, however, was pretty far and he had a good connection (necessary for his job) so if she had any issues, she could possibly ask Sebastian what he did (she hoped she didn't have to).

Were people nice? Generally, yes. Some people could be a little rude, especially before they warm up to a person. Everyone was nice and good, though, even if it was pushed a little too deep down. Who, specifically? Shane, definitely. Even though Sam and Shane had been working together for a while, there still wasn't much warmth in the relationship, and Sam sort of wished there was. No one was as bad as Shane, but Sam was sure even Shane could become warm, just like anyone else. (Viv thought it was sweet of Sam to think of everyone as inherently good.)

What do people do for fun? That was up to the individual. There definitely wasn't much to do in a place as small as Pelican Town, but there was still a lot of different activities you could do. Sam and Sebastian were in a band ("you don't happen to play drums, do you?" "I don't") and Sam played games or skated in his free time. There was the beach (sounded fun), a museum lacking in....everything (weird), a wizard (huh?), a playground (with swings, thank goodness). While there wasn't much in town, everyone was free to do whatever they wanted: sewing, art, music, reading, writing, and anything else you could think of. 

"Do you have a car?" Sam asked.

"I do," Viv said. 

"Now that's cool. You could go to Zuzu whenever you wanted. We should take a road trip sometime!" His loud cry made Viv smile.

"I'd probably want to get to know you a bit more before I dedicate several hours to being in a car together. Gotta make sure you aren't a creep."

"What? You mean cornering you in a spa isn't trustworthy behavior?" He asked, feigning hurt. Viv laughed.

"Maybe we just have different ideas of weird, being from such different places."

"That might be it. I did grow up in the city, though."

"Oh, did you?" 

"Yeah. I was there for a bit before moving here." 

"How was the move for you?"

"Well, I was still pretty young. Still a kid. It was probably way easier for me than it was for you." He leaned back, his eyes on the ceiling. "I guess I missed my friends from the city. We said we'd keep in touch, and we did for a while, but it eventually just petered out, you know?"

"Yeah, it's hard doing long distance stuff. Not every relationship can handle it." Viv sighed lightly.

"What about your friends? Are you gonna try keeping in touch with them?"

"Ah," she chuckled while rubbing at her cheek, "the only person I'll probably still keep in touch with is one of my roommates. Or, old roommates."

"You had roommates?"

"Yeah, I definitely could not have afforded a place on my own with my Joja salary."

"You said you'd keep in touch with one. What about the other one? Or others?" His question was innocent enough, but it still made her flinch.

"I was just closer to one of them. The two of them were dating when we first started rooming together. They ended up getting engaged and recently got married. They're both nice, but I was just closer to one of them. The woman."

"Must have been weird rooming with a couple. Like you walk in and they could just be making out, or something." His expression was sour. Viv laughed, discomfort forgotten.

"I can't say I didn't catch them a few times, but I just tried to forget about it. I didn't want them to feel like they had to suppress their relationship around me. And they understood boundaries, so they never did anything that made me uncomfortable." 

_Together, at least._

"That's good. Being around couples can be awkward sometimes."

"What about you? Who do you live with?" She cocked her head. He seemed to blush a little.

"Uh, I still..." His last few words were so quiet, she couldn't hear them.

"Sorry, what was that?" 

"I, uh, still live with my mom." He said, not looking at her.

"Oh, that's nothing to be embarrassed about. Not everyone can leave at eighteen, especially when things are just getting more and more expensive. It's definitely better than you being on the street, right?" 

"Yeah, I guess so." He still looked a bit embarrassed, but not as much as he did when she first asked. 

"So...do you have to be home by a certain time?" She asked. He swore.

"Technically, I don't have a curfew, but there is a 'suggestion.' It's 'suggested' I be home by 10. I don't know what time it is. My phone is in the locker." He pulled himself out of the water. Viv quickly checked her watch.

"It's 9:30. Hopefully that's enough time for you to get back in before 10?" She said as she pulled herself out of the water, too.

"Yeah, as long as I leave now. Meet you outside in a few?" 

"Yeah," she said. They both rushed towards the locker rooms. She went to the locker she left her things in and pulled out her towel to quickly dry herself off. She wasn't a fan of putting clothes on damp skin, so she tried to dry herself off as best she could while still not taking too much time. Once she felt sufficiently dry, she pulled on her clean jeans and t-shirt. She'd brought a coat in case it was cold as she walked home, and she slung that over her arm after slinging her backpack over her shoulders. She walked out of the locker rooms and saw Sam waiting outside the other door. She smiled at him as they both walked out of the bathhouse. 

"So where do you live?" She asked.

"I'm on Willow Lane. I live west from the graveyard. There's Emily and Haley's house and then my house." 

"I can vaguely remember what that area looks like on the map."

"You should come by sometime. I'm sure my mom would love to meet you. And my little brother."

"I'll definitely introduce myself at some point! As much as the thought of meeting everyone makes me nervous, it would be good for me to at least meet everyone once. Maybe after I go into the town center to talk to Lewis, I'll start introducing myself to people."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. And if you wanna make it easier, you could always visit the Stardrop on Friday nights. A bunch of the townsfolk meet up there that night." Sam's suggestion would make things easier, but all those eyes on her? That sounded terrifying. 

"Thanks for the info." She said, knowing full well she most definitely would not be doing that. 

"No problem," He stopped. "Well, this is probably where we part ways, unless you wanted to go the long way to your farm, which would take you through the town center. Or unless you wanted me to walk you home?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I'll make it back on my own from here." She smiled, coaxing out a grin from him.

"It was fun talking to you. Let's do it again sometime."

"Definitely," she took a few steps back and waved before turning. She walked a few meters before she heard him call out to her. She turned to see him jogging up to her. 

"Do you have a phone?" He asked. He held his out, presumably to exchange numbers.

"Yeah, you want my number?" 

"Yeah, put it in and text yourself so you have mine, too." He handed her his phone, and she made a new contact for herself. She texted herself and pulled out her own phone to make sure she'd received it. Once she heard the familiar ding, she handed Sam his phone back.

"All done,"

"Thanks, goodnight." He grinned at her before turning around and basically sprinting away. She hoped he wouldn't get in any trouble for being out that late. She stared at the spot where he disappeared for a bit before turning around and beginning her own journey.

It didn't take too long for her to make it back to the farmhouse. Though, she did feel a jab of stress once she entered the practically empty farmhouse. She turned on her battery-powered lamp and pulled out the sleeping bag she had packed away. She unrolled it onto the ground, changed into shorts, and tucked herself into the warmth of the sleeping bag. It wasn't the comfiest, but it would be enough until she could find a way to get a bed. She tried not to think about all the other things she needed to buy, too. She couldn't fully unpack without buying other furniture, like a dresser. Or even just hangers would be good. She'd have to take a trip back into the city sometime. 

If she kept thinking about the things she still had to do, she wouldn't be able to sleep. 

She turned off the lamp and got comfortable in the sleeping bag. She felt herself get closer and closer to sleep, only for a ding to bring her out. She considered ignoring whatever message she'd just received, but she always worried if she did that, it'd end up being an emergency and then how awful would she feel for ignoring it then? So she pulled her arm out and grabbed her phone, the brightness of the screen practically blinding her.

It was a text from Sam.

 _Sleep tight_ , it said. She smiled and responded with a similar sentiment.

Even if she didn't make any other friends in town, she'd at least be happy that one person liked her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always think I write a lot and then I post it and it's only a few scrolls -_- 
> 
> Hi, hello. How is everyone? Hopefully good. Thanks to everyone who has commented so far. It's very motivating and definitely makes writing a lot more fun! Lately I've spent most of my time either working, job searching, or watching random things on Youtube. It's nice to finally be working with a hobby again! Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day <3


	4. consequence personified

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiii. It's been a while. Sorry about that. I usually like to update things a little bit more frequently, but life doesn't always work out the way you want it to, unfortunately. I have been working on it a little bit everyday, but I work and I'm still in the process of trying to find a better job, so I'm always either busy or tired haha. I've also been replaying the game to get certain details I want to include, so that's extra time. I do want to assure everyone that I will not be dropping this. I've seen a lot of unfinished stories on here that seem really interesting, but I don't want to start reading something that I know is just going to stop abruptly, you know? So don't worry about that happening with this. I'm going to finish what I started no matter what! Though I do wish there was some way I could easily update everyone on my writing process. If you're ever interested to know where I am with an update, you can just comment and I'll be sure to answer! :)
> 
> Also, last chapter I mistakenly had Sam say the next day was going to be Monday because I forgot Spring 1 is a Monday. I thought it was Sunday because the weeks kind of start on Sunday? In my brain? Because that's when the gifts all reset and stuff. I give everyone gifts and so I'm very aware of when I can give them more. Anyways I decided to keep the last chapter as Sunday because Viv made a big drive that day and have you ever driven early on a Sunday morning? Roads are so empty. At least in my city. Its nice. Whenever I drive to work on weekdays I always yell at cars like "go home it's 5am!" Why are there so many cars out at 5/6 am???? I just want some peace.
> 
> Also also, please excuse any mistakes. I'm perpetually tired and tired people make mistakes sometimes.

Hiding behind a bush isn't really the kind of place one tends to imagine themselves ever being in. Viv liked to think of herself as different. An innovator. An evolved form. Someone too scared at the prospect of coming face-to-face with someone who wasn't Lewis that she would hide in a bush until the coast was clear and she could sprint to the manor. And, boy, did she mean sprint. Once she noticed there wasn't anyone in the vicinity she could see, she forced away any hesitation and made a run for it. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw some human-shaped blobs, but she tried not to think about how weird they'd think it was to see a stranger just run by in the middle of town. She got herself to the front porch of the manor and knocked before she could back out. Though if she did decide to leave, she'd have to sprint back to the forested area and that sounded embarrassing. Though staring back at the tired and surprised-looking old man who opened the door also felt a little embarrassing. Or maybe it was just nerves. Sometimes just existing was embarrassing. 

"Hi, we've never met before, but you've met my grandpa?" Before she could specify more details--because there were millions of grandpa's out there and she could be talking about any of them--Lewis spoke.

"Viv?" His surprise was palpable. She supposed she'd be surprised, too, if she were in his shoes.

"Yeah, that's me." She said, trying not to squirm at his unblinking stare. He snapped himself out of it with a few blinks and a gentle head shake before opening the door wider and moving to the side.

"Please, come in." He said. She hesitated for a second before entering the warm manor. She didn't want to look nosy, but she looked around a bit as she walked in. It was a pretty bare room. The dining table had some cute place mats, though she wasn't sure if there was anyone else in the house for the mayor to dine with. She told herself not to make assumptions. She turned to him and waited for his signal on where to sit. He gestured to what looked like a small tea/coffee area with two floor cushions. She knelt onto one as Lewis walked to the stove.

"Would you like some tea? Coffee?" He asked.

"Some tea would be great." She watched him fill up a kettle and place it onto the stove. She tried not to fidget too much as she waited for him to prepare the tea. Once he was done, he set the two drinks onto the table and knelt across from her. There was a bit of silence while she tried to gather her thoughts, and she figured he was doing the same. 

"How's...your family?" Lewis asked.

"They're doing alright." 

"Have you...Were you living away from them?" He seemed like he was trying to work up the courage to ask something specific, but Viv couldn't figure out what.

"Yeah, I was. They actually moved away some time ago, so I was alone in the city. Well, not completely alone. I had a roommate, but family was a bit of a ways away."

"Was that tough for you?" 

"I mean, I miss them, but I've learned to manage. I wouldn't be all the way out here if I couldn't."

"Right, right."

"Yeah..." Every fiber of Viv's being was screaming at her to _abort, abort_. The situation was so awkward, she thought she might die. She was sweating. Could he see her sweating?? She shouldn't have accepted the tea. She shouldn't have entered his house. She shouldn't have even visited! But she had to be there! She had to. She let out a quiet breath as she tried to force herself to calm down. She needed to be there. She had questions and Lewis was the only one with answers. Might as well get down to business.

"So--"

"Have you seen the cottage yet?" He didn't look at her as he asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I actually arrived last night and spent the night." Her words caused Lewis to look a little green.

"You spent the night in that place?" His words confused her. She assumed he and her grandpa were friends, but was that wrong?

"I...I did. Is there something wrong?" She felt her body tense as she began to speed towards a deep stage of regret. Maybe moving to Pelican Town was a bad idea. Maybe her grandpa didn't have a good reputation in town and that bad reputation would follow her. Was he disliked? Would she be disliked in turn? He spoke about the town with such love, she couldn't imagine the people would have been awful towards him, but Lewis' expression filled her with so much fear.

"I can't imagine the place is in good condition, and that's my own fault." He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"What? Why is that your fault? It was empty for years. I expected it to be pretty rundown. I got the whole inside cleaned last night so it's at least fairly livable now."

"You shouldn't have had to do that. Didn't your grandpa leave you with my contact info? If you had contacted me, I would have had the cottage ready for you by the time you arrived." His words weren't harsh, but she still lightly flinched like a scolded child.

"I'm sorry? It was a bit of a spur of the moment decision." She fiddled with the handle of the tea mug as she spoke, and took a drink as she waited for Lewis to respond. 

"I wish you hadn't had to see it in that state." He stared down at his untouched tea. "I promised your grandpa I would take care of the cottage and keep it ready for when you decided to move here. I did keep that up for a long while after his death, but it was hard. He and I were close, and I've missed him dearly since he passed. Going to his farm opened up wounds and, seeing as I wasn't hearing anything from you or anyone in your family, I gave up. I didn't want to keep hurting the way I did while at that empty farm. I figured you'd reach out before moving here and I would be able to fix up the cottage beforehand. This isn't how I meant things to go."

Viv wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't feel any ill will towards him for letting the farmhouse get into the state she'd found it in. Like she said, she had expected it to be like that. She'd never thought someone would have been willing to keep it in good condition for such a long time. She wanted to express to him how much she didn't care about him not taking care of the farmhouse, but she sensed it wasn't necessarily about the house. He'd made a promise to a friend, and he didn't end up keeping it. If she'd never moved there, he would have never had to really deal with it again. He would have gone on with his life without the regret he was feeling at that moment in front of her. But there she was: consequence personified. And she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a bit bad about it.

"Lewis," she said as she slowly moved her hand onto his, "you probably knew my grandfather better than I did, but I knew him well enough to know he wouldn't have held this against you. Things happen, and we just have to deal with whatever comes at us. I know it's so easy to feel angry at yourself, but my grandpa wouldn't be angry at you and I'm not angry at you, so I think you should be easier on yourself."

He gave her a small smile, but it didn't look like her words made much of a difference. She couldn't say it was surprising. She was her grandpa's granddaughter, but she wasn't him. He was probably the only one who could make Lewis feel at least a little better about not having kept his promise, but that wasn't possible under the current circumstances, so they both would have to work with that they had. 

"Well, regardless of whether either of you would be or are angry at me, I am sorry that you had to clean that entire cottage by yourself. How's the exterior?" He questioned her innocently, but the question made her face drop.

"It could be better. I had a bit of an accident and now some parts of the deck are broken." Her words made Lewis lightly wince. 

"I was worried about that. Luckily, we have a great carpenter in town. With Robin's help, we can definitely fix up the exterior and upgrade it from 'fairly livable' to 'livable.'" He looked excited about it, but she didn't feel the same way.

"That sounds...expensive. I have savings that's supposed to keep me until I can get into this farm stuff, but I don't know if I have enough for that." She wondered how dangerous it would be to keep the house in it's current state. She probably wouldn't die, so she figured things would be okay. 

"Oh, no, I never meant to make it seem like you would cover the expenses. I was supposed to make sure things were kept in good shape, so I'll take care of whatever cost comes with fixing the house up." He grinned at her.

"I really could not ask you to do that."

"It'll make me feel better." He chuckled.

"Well, I mean, sure, then? I would really appreciate the safety. I would also really appreciate working utilities?" Her words made Lewis pause.

"Working utilities? Oh, dear. I forgot they weren't working up there. I'll get them turned on straight away. And in the meantime, you can use whatever I have available here at the manor." His eyes lit up as he remembered something else. "And furniture! There's nothing in there, correct? Robin can make you some furniture, but her inventory is limited and if you want anything a little fancier, you'd have to go into the city. If you'd like, you can borrow my truck and take it into the city to get some furniture?"

Viv was a bit overwhelmed by not only his sudden change in mood, but also by the generosity he was showing her. Is that how people were in Pelican Town? 

"I couldn't--"

"You _could_. And you won't worry about being a bother."

"This is too much." 

"Believe me, it's not enough."

"I--Thank you. Thank you so much." She didn't want to cry. She wasn't going to cry. Lewis smiled at her scrunched up trying-not-to-cry face. 

"You know, you remind me so much of your grandfather."

It was that statement that led to a couple hours of reminiscing. There was so much Lewis knew about Viv's grandpa that she didn't. She wasn't too young when he passed, but he'd spent most of her life in Pelican Town, only visiting her family during the holidays. (She'd always wondered why her parents never took them all to visit him in Pelican Town.) She knew he was a kind man who brought tasty fruits, vegetables, and artisan goods, but she didn't know much more about who he was as a person. Lewis, on the other hand, knew so much about him that he spent most of the time telling her stories about him. Whenever he'd ask her a question about her experiences with him, she'd keep it short so she could hear him talk more about his experiences. It was so new to hear someone speak that way about her grandpa. It was so positive and full of love. And it made her sad she couldn't get to know her grandpa better.

Lewis offered to walk her to the farmhouse, but she declined. It was only around 8 p.m. and she could manage. Once he closed his door, she took a quick peek at his truck. It had a pretty large bed, but she'd still be limited in what furniture she could buy and bring back to town. She definitely did not want to make more than one trip with is truck, especially since he insisted she go without him (something about it not being fun to have an old man tag along), so she had to think about the essentials. Like an actual bed. Her sleeping bag was comfortable, but it was only a sleeping bag. She wanted a nice bed frame and mattress. Something big, maybe. She liked having room to roll around as much as she wanted.

Once Viv was content with her decision, she turned and headed down the path that would lead her to the forest (she figured it was still the place she'd be least likely to see someone, as no one really lived out there). She passed the graveyard, then one house and two. It was when she was almost passed the second when she remembered that Sam lived there. She turned and looked at the house. It was cute. The lights were on. He was probably in there. Maybe having fun with his family, maybe having fun by himself. Maybe thinking about her, just like she was thinking about him.

She wondered if he would be willing to go bed shopping with her. It would be so helpful to have someone else there to help her move everything. And she figured he'd be happy to get out into the city. They could even stop someplace he wanted to go to, or stop at a restaurant. It'd be fun.

She turned towards the door, determined. She was going to knock on that door and ask him if he'd want to go. She took the several steps necessary to get herself up to the front door, raised her fist to knock...

...and chickened out.

Because of course she did.

She wasn't ready to meet his family!

Or anyone else for that matter!

It was late, anyways. Even if she was willing, it was probably not the best time of day.

So she turned back around and headed back to the farm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some people have some pretty strong (negative) opinions about Lewis (my sibling included). And truthfully I've never felt strongly enough about him to form an opinion. I can understand the dislike some people have, but I wanted to make him a lil better in my fic haha.
> 
> Let me know what you think! I know updates are still pretty short (it's amazing how little space 2,000+ words take up) and I do want to make them longer, but whether that happens is going to be a case by case thing. Truthfully I don't really plan each of my chapters and just write (which is why it might seem messy sometimes hehe) so while I want to say I'll try to make the next one longer...I have no idea whether I'll be able to or not. I guess we'll see!


	5. Don't push yourself, alright?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi~ How are you? Hope you're all well. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Sam is in it :3

_If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong. I've enclosed the deed to that place... my pride and joy: Chrysalis Farm. It's located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It's the perfect place to start your new life. This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my girl. Good luck._

It was strange to see the fruits of her labor (so far only figuratively--she'd have literal fruits eventually). When Viv first arrived on Chrysalis Farm (the name was a little on the nose, she thought), she'd been overwhelmed by how much of the land had been overtaken by nature. Trees, logs, stumps, rocks, boulders, and so, so many weeds had taken over. Or, maybe they'd just returned to their rightful place. Whatever the case, she couldn't be successful on that farm without some room for crops and animals. That meant she'd have to clear everything, and although part of her tried to drag her down by calling it impossible, she knew, logically, she'd clear everything eventually. She just couldn't give up. And what was the saying? The proof was in the pudding? She'd spent the last few days clearing out the area, and although she wasn't even halfway done, the empty, ready-to-use land made her body vibrate with excitement. She was capable of clearing the entire farm and she almost couldn't wait until then.

Viv also wasn't the only one who kept busy during the past few days. Robin, the local carpenter, was there, too, fixing up the house. Robin explained the issue with the wood and that she would replace whatever was affected, but that Viv would have to do her fair share, as well--including cleaning the gutters regularly and sweeping any standing water off the porch after it rains. It seemed easy enough, and she was ever so grateful to Robin and Lewis. Lewis had started up the utilities in the house once more, and even set her up with some of that good ol' internet, her greatest friend. And that Friday evening, Robin finished up her work, too. Robin called out to Viv as she was chopping down a tree. 

"Great news, Viv! I've finished up the last of what I needed to do. Doesn't it look much better than before? Definitely less crusty, right?" Robin laughed. Viv gave her a big smile before appreciating the view of the farmhouse. It definitely did look better. It wasn't brand new by any means, but it was so much nicer. 

"You're a miracle worker. Thank you so much." Viv wanted to hug her, but they'd only just met a few days previously, so she didn't think it was appropriate. At least, that's what she thought before Robin put her arm around Viv and squeezed.

"It's no problem. I love the craft. Woodwork is what makes me most comfortable. I'm sure you have something like that, too, don't you?" Robin didn't seem like she was looking for an answer, but the question gave Viv pause. She'd thought about it before. With it being such a small town, everyone must have something like that. Something they spend a lot of time working on because it's something they really enjoy. Did she have something like that? She wanted to find out.

"Robin, you've done a wonderful job!" 

Viv jumped slightly and both she and Robin turned towards the eastern path of the farm, where Lewis was emerging from. He was smiling brightly and had a small box in his hands. Robin and Viv met him halfway.

"Not just me, Lewis. Viv has done a great job with clearing out the farm. I would say that's a more daunting task than mine. It was so overgrown, but with it cleared out it'll give you so much space. There's good soil on this farm, and I'm sure you'll be able to grow some great fruits and veggies." Robin gave Viv a large grin.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Viv said.

"Speaking of growing fruits and vegetables, I brought you just the thing!" Lewis thrust the box into Viv's hands. "Here's a little something to get you started: parsnip seeds. They aren't worth as much as some other spring crops, but they're hardy and make for a great gift for many of the townsfolk."

"A great gift?" Viv asked.

"If you choose to give gifts, that is. Of course, giving gifts isn't mandatory, but lots of us give gifts to those we appreciate, like friends or people who have helped us. Have you met anyone besides Robin and me yet?"

"Hmm, I met Sam and Sebastian my first night here, actually." 

"Oh, you met Sebastian? That's my son!" Robin's words surprised Viv.

"He's your son?"

"Yeah, don't you see it? We look exactly alike." Robin said with a laugh. "I'm surprised he was one of the ones you met first! He's usually so hard to find."

"I guess I was just in the right place at the right time." 

"Well, there are many more townspeople living here." Lewis said. "You ought to explore a bit and introduce yourself. The townspeople would appreciate that."

"I will, thank you." Viv said with a smile.

"Oh, you know what would be perfect? Coming to the Stardrop Saloon tonight. Nearly everyone visits the saloon on Friday nights. I'll be heading there after I drop off my things. You can meet my husband, Demetrius, too. We spend hours dancing." 

"Ah, I did hear about that. I'm not sure if I have the energy for it tonight, but I'll see how I feel after a shower." Viv said, knowing she would avoid the saloon. Robin put her arm around Viv again.

"Don't push yourself, alright? Plenty of time to meet everyone." Robin rubbed Viv's arm before pulling back. "Are you going to head straight to the saloon, Lewis?"

"I was, unless you needed some help taking your supplies back to your home?" 

"I'd appreciate that." Robin grinned. The three of them went to the side of the house and helped gather Robin's things. Once they were comfortably in Robin and Lewis' arms, they each said their goodbyes and Viv was left alone on her farm once again. It felt a little odd since she'd had Robin's company practically the entirety of the last few days, but it was nice to be able to appreciate the farm without anyone interrupting her thoughts. 

She really was proud of how much she'd been able to accomplish. Thinking back, she couldn't remember ever feeling that much pride over her own work. Sure, she'd done well in school and at her job, but the positive feelings from getting good grades in school or slight compliments among criticism at work were nowhere near as great as what she was feeling while looking at the renovated farmhouse and semi-clear farm. Sure, she hadn't fixed up the farmhouse herself, but it was part of the whole, and she was the catalyst to what the farm was on its way to becoming. The giddy feelings followed her as she went back into the farmhouse to take a shower, and didn't stop until she heard her phone ring as she was drying her hair. 

"Hello?" She said.

"Viv, hey!" 

Viv pulled the phone away from her ear and checked the caller. Sam.

"Hey, Sam. What's up?" She tried to ignore the slight quickening of her heartbeat. Interacting with new people could be so nerve-wracking. She hoped she didn't say the wrong thing. She wanted to keep it cool and casual.

"I'm at the saloon right now with Sebastian and Abigail! You remember Sebastian, right? He plays a mean game of pool. You ever played pool?"

"Can't say I have."

"You should definitely come down, then!" 

"So I can get my butt kicked?" She smiled. He sounded so excited. Fridays at the saloon must be a great time.

"Well, maybe the first couple times, but who knows? Maybe you're a natural. Maybe you can beat Sebastian and end his reign of tyranny."

"Well, I can't say I don't hate tyranny."

" _Exactly_. Who can? It's our duty as citizens to put an end to tyranny."

"You think so?"

"Of course I do. So whaddya say?" 

"I say--" Viv tried not to laugh. "I say that you're gonna have to deal with the tyranny for a little longer. I'm exhausted."

" _You're_ exhausted? Think of how tired I am!"

"I bet you're real tired, so maybe you should go to bed, too."

"It's too early in the night for that."

"Right, still have plenty of time to get your butt kicked in pool a couple more times?" Viv couldn't hold in her laugh when she heard Sam groan.

"I thought we were friends, Viv. I would help you if you needed it."

"Would you?"

"Of course I would."

"So if I needed, say, a friend to help me get some furniture from Zuzu, what would you say?" Viv waited for a bit, but several seconds passed with no answer. She pulled the phone back so she could make sure the call wasn't dropped. It wasn't, though that should have been obvious. She could faintly hear the music from the saloon.

"YOU TALKIN' ROAD TRIP?" 

Now that was a more valid reason for Viv to pull the phone away from her ear. 

"My hearing is already bad from years of torturing them with load music, you don't need to make it worse." She laughed.

"I'm sorry, but I need an answer."

"Yeah, I guess it'll be like a road trip. If you're willing to help."

"Didn't I just say of course I'd help? Especially if it gets me a trip to Zuzu."

"Using me for my car, I see."

"Are you telling me there's more to you than your car?" 

"Hmm, maybe not." She meant it as a joke, but there was a bit of feeling her answer brought up in her that she quickly pushed back into the deepest part of her brain. Sam laughed.

"I'm sure there's more to you than just your car, and I'll find out during our road trip." There was a bit of an odd ruckus from Sam's end of the line. "I'm really excited, Viv. I need you to understand that. I haven't been out of this town in _ages_. Can I ask Abigail and Sebastian if they wanna come??"

The thought of two more people struck Viv with so much anxiety. Sebastian was already cold to her, would Abigail be that way, too? She understood that some people needed time to warm up to others, but it hadn't happened yet. She hadn't seen Sebastian yet since her first night in Pelican Town. She didn't know if she could handle the awkwardness of being stuck with two near-strangers for several hours, even with Sam there to act as a buffer. But what was she supposed to say? No? Would Sam be disappointed in that answer? Would he think negatively of her? Would he want to be her friend if she wasn't willing to put herself out there the way he was clearly familiar with?

"You can ask them, sure."

"Great! Hold on a sec." The call silenced. He'd muted the call, leaving her to wallow in her own nervousness. Though, it wasn't for long. Only a few seconds had passed before the noise resumed on the other end.

"Viv?"

"I'm here."

"If Sebastian was in your shoes right now, he'd yell at me."

"What?"

"I wasn't thinking just now. Sebastian's my best friend, and Abigail's part of the group, too. I always want to include them in fun stuff like this, but I wasn't really thinking about how you would feel. Sorry about that." 

"...Huh?"

"It'd be weird for you, right? Sebastian hasn't warmed up to you yet, and you haven't even met Abigail. It'd be cool for me to be around friends on a road trip to Zuzu City, but it wouldn't be the same for you. So, again, sorry about that. I won't invite them. It'll be just you and me and your car."

Viv didn't even know how to respond to that. Worst case scenario was Abigail and Sebastian agreeing to go and having to deal with the awkward situation. Most probable situation was that they'd both not end up joining, as they would know it'd end up being uncomfortable. She never would have expected Sam would just decide not to ask them because he'd realize it was inconsiderate of him. Should she thank him? Praise him? Insist he invite his friends anyways? 

"Actually, it'll be Lewis' truck. I drive a sedan. It's not very good for holding big furniture." Her words were followed by a beat of silence.

"Man, that means I can't make a mess."

"Were you going to make a mess in _my_ car??"

"Well, I wouldn't say it was a sure thing, but the possibility was there. Now it's gone."

"I can't say I'm not relieved about that." Viv laughed. She'd been standing the entire conversation, and she finally got herself out of the bathroom and into the main area of the house. She crouched down onto the ground and laid back on her sleeping bag (which would hopefully be gone soon).

"So, what do you need anyways?"

"A bed, definitely. Maybe a dresser. I don't know how much will fit on the truck, but a bed is a necessity. Anything else is extra."

"You've been living without a bed?" He whistled.

"It's not that bad. I got this cute, fluffy sleeping bag. It's got a lion design."

"Wow, and you wanna replace it with a comfortable mattress? Heartless." They both laughed at that.

"What can I say? I'm growing up." She said as she played with the hem of her shirt. "What days are best for you, anyways?"

"Tomorrow!" He said quickly before slightly wincing. "I mean, I'm free this weekend. I don't know if you want to go ASAP, but if you do, I'm available. If not this weekend, I'd say any day except Monday and Wednesday, 'cause I work."

"You don't think tomorrow is a little short notice?"

"I mean...not if you don't." He sounded shy. Viv chuckled.

"I'll talk to Lewis tonight and ask him what he thinks. If not tomorrow, then maybe Sunday. I'll see what he says and let you know, alright?"

"Can't wait."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited to write the trip! I love writing cute interactions, romantic or otherwise. It's just so nice to see/read two people who enjoy being around each other. Wish I had that! LOL.
> 
> It's gotten a bit cold in my city. Nothing major, but I had to scrape ice off my windshield this morning. I've never lived anywhere where it snowed. I think I would die if I lived in a place that got snow in the winter. Like, literally. I can't imagine how hard it is to drive on icy roads. I have enough trouble as it is in a city that rarely goes under 30F/-1C. Although I'm unhappy that it's not snowing on my Animal Crossing island yet >:( Isabelle said we got the first snow of the season and then there was no snow. Why must life disappoint me so much. 
> 
> Anyways, hope you had a good time and I hope you have a great rest of your day/week/length of time until I next update.


	6. Do you know how much bananas cost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...didn't realize how long it'd been. Life got really messy. I'm sorry. Hopefully I'm more consistent from here on out. 
> 
> Please excuse any errors. Thanks <3

Viv carefully closed the door to the mayor's manor. She'd just finished thanking Lewis what felt like a thousand times. She was so grateful to him for offering his truck for her to get some nice, new furniture. And she was also sorry that she had to wake him up a little early. It had taken a bit of time for him to open the front door when she first knocked, and he'd seemed rather disheveled. She wondered what time he usually woke up. Not everyone woke up at 6 a.m., she supposed. Sam included.

She frowned slightly as she thought of Sam. Meeting up with someone at 7, an hour after she woke up, was an easy feat for her. Sam, however, emphasized how much earlier it was than the time he usually woke up. She'd tried to insist on meeting up at a later time, but he wouldn't agree to that. He said he'd make it, and she hoped he did. But she was early. Twenty minutes early, to be specific. She didn't know why she had arrived at the manor, their meetup spot, so early. She was just forcing herself to stand alone in the cold morning air.

It was early enough that no one was out and about, which gave Viv a chance to take in the town fully for the first time. She hadn't been in town since she'd first spoken to the mayor, and she hadn't given herself any time to look around before or after that meeting. She didn't want to venture too far from the truck, just so she wouldn't miss Sam when he showed up, but she could see a lot from the manor. The museum and blacksmith were across the river, as well as a JojaMart further north (she felt it was a bit of an eyesore in an otherwise beautiful town). There was a trailer by the manor, and if she walked towards a bit further north she could see another house, the saloon, and part of...

The general store.

If she wanted to actually make a living, she needed to go in there at some point. It was one of the only shops in town, thus one of the only places for her to buy seeds. Her other option was JojaMart, but--although she knew it didn't make any sense--she felt if she walked onto Joja property, her old bosses would know and would come find her to yell at her. She wanted--no, needed to stay far away from anything Joja related. All her shopping had to be done online or at the general store...

Where other people shopped...

People who would see her...

People who would speak to her...

People...

She lightly slapped her cheeks. That was what she wanted, wasn't it?? To be acknowledged? To be spoken to in a genuine way? To be more than what she was in the city? It was what she wanted. She wanted more out of life. So why was she so scared of going for it? Talking to people should be easier than changing your whole life and moving to some tiny town on the coast, shouldn't it?? That would make sense. But it didn't feel like it was easier. People could be mean. They could be so judgemental. She'd always been taught to be nice and to help whenever she could, but going through the world she quickly learned that not everyone had the same upbringing. And she was so scared of interacting with mean people. She took their comments too close to heart.

But Sam said people were nice, so she should be more hopeful. Though, even if he did say that, she didn't want to let her expectations of the town get too high. No area was perfect, and no person was perfect. People could be cold and distant no matter where they grew up, whether it be in urban or rural areas. She needed to stop taking things so personally. And if Sam was even a little bit right, her efforts to make friends wouldn't go as badly as they did at her old job.

Viv turned back and made her way towards the truck. She unlocked the doors so she could place her backpack (full of snacks, of course) on the backseat. She leaned against the side and was thinking of what sort of restaurant she wanted to take Sam to when the man himself popped out from around the front of the truck. She jumped, to which he quickly apologized. She looked at her watch, only ten minutes had passed since she first left Lewis' house.

"You're here early." He said with a smile. Though it didn't matter how big and bright his smile was, as nothing would be able to hide how clearly tired he was.

"You are, too." She said. He turned away from her and rubbed at his nose.

"I got up a little too early and I figured I'd just come out here and wait."

"How much sleep did you get?"

"Maybe a few hours. I'm not really sure." He laughed.

"Well, let's hop in and you can sleep on the way there." She pulled open the door, prompting Sam to make his way to the passenger's side.

"I don't really want to do that." He got into the seat and turned towards her. "I wanna enjoy the trip fully. Live in the moment, you know?"

"That's a sweet sentiment." She said with a smile as she started up the truck. "But, personally, I don't feel like I can fully enjoy things when I'm tired. I'd say you sleep the couple of hours it takes to drive there, and then you can fully enjoy both the shopping itself and the drive back."

It took some back and forth, but Sam eventually agreed to take a little nap on the drive to the city. He'd brought up a playlist he'd made for the journey, though the truck was too old to play it on the radio. She'd suspected that problem would come up and had brought a fully charged wireless speaker. A little bit messy, but it did what they wanted it to. So, while he slept, she listened to the songs he'd put together for the trip. She was surprised by the variety. While she wasn't a fan of all of it, the songs seem to hit all kinds of genres, even some seemingly niche ones, so a song she enjoyed was never too far off. She wondered if he enjoyed all those songs, too, or if he'd tried to hit as many genres as he could in hopes that he'd include something he liked. She supposed she'd have to ask him.

Though when the chance came, some hours later, she was too preoccupied with the change into a city setting. It was a loud, sustained honk that woke Sam up, who seemed as surprised as she was to see they were in the city. 

"A bit of a rude awakening, huh?" She said with a laugh.

"Those are sounds I don't miss." He sat up straighter in the seat and looked around. She wasn't sure he knew the area, but she was a little more familiar. Only a few more minutes and they'd be to her favorite furniture shop. 

"People are eager to get to where they're going, you know?"

"Maybe they should just chill out." He said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Too much going on to chill, I think." She turned to smile at him for a second before moving her focus back on the road. There weren't too many cars on the road, at least relative to how busy the roads _could_ get. It wasn't bad enough to bother her, though it would probably be different once they began their way back to Pelican Town.

"Did I miss anything while I was out?" Sam asked. There wasn't much to say about the drive, but Viv did tell him about the cows and horses she'd seen, because that was always cool (although probably less cool if horses and cows were a more normal part of someone's life, and she'd have to check in on herself about it later when she had cattle). And the DEER. She'd seen a literal deer just relaxing under a tree. It made her wish she'd been in the passenger seat so she could stare for as long as she could. Where had it even come from? It was wild. Sam also asked her about the music. She definitely didn't want to say anything harsh, so she just mentioned the few songs that had really hit her, and he seemed extremely excited at the fact that she'd actually enjoyed some of the songs. It led him into a bit of a tangent about his band, which she was very interested in. Music was clearly something he loved, and it was always wonderful to hear someone talk about something they loved.

Once she found parking in the parking garage, she'd asked if he'd ever been to that furniture store before, to which he said no. She promised he'd love it as they walked into the store and went up the stairs to get to the main area. 

"If you get hungry when we're done, they have food at the end. I've only tried their desserts, but they are super good so I'm sure the rest of their food is, too! Otherwise we could go to this cute little cafe I used to love visiting."

"A furniture store with food? What a world." He said with a laugh. "Though I'll probably choose the cafe option."

Viv had been nervous about this outing. Of course she had been. Going on long drives and visiting shops and cafes with a person she'd only spoken to a couple of times is pretty nerve-wracking. So much could go wrong, and if things did go wrong, then there would still be hours before they'd be able to part. And that was a scary thought. But she quickly learned there had been nothing to be afraid of. Sam was fun. Would that statement be a surprise to anyone? He was fun and easy to talk to, and any silence that came up wasn't as uncomfortable as she'd feared it would be. 

They talked mostly about the furniture, and giggled their ways through their most-loved and most-hated furniture set ups. She'd fallen in love with a very specific daybed, and chose some mattresses to go with it. She found a well-matching dresser with a fair amount of room for all her items. Sam asked why she wanted a dresser if she had a closet, but a closet didn't fit everything, and she liked to keep a lot of clutter in her dressers. Though she supposed a big reason she used to do that was because she didn't have the room to keep her clutter outside the dresser. With a house to herself, maybe she'd be able to change that. While it wasn't too big, she could pay Robin to make it bigger. Then she'd have room for all the clutter in the world! Or at least some percentage of it. 

Once Sam had done the majority of loading everything onto the truck, he'd convinced her she _needed_ a TV. He put heavy, heavy, _heavy_ emphasis on "needed". He'd even offered her the login info to the streaming sites he was subscribed to. She was flattered he'd trust her with that, though she wasn't sure how much time she'd have to just watch stuff on TV. She started to lean into it when he talked about weather. The weather would probably be important to her crop growing. Then he mentioned there was a local channel that had a bunch of farm tips and she was sold. They drove to nearby store and she got the cheapest TV she could find, as well as a few other normal day-to-day items.. She felt a bit bad about dragging Sam around to a separate place, but he'd found some items he liked at both stores, so it made her feel a bit better about it all. 

With all the shopping done, Viv was finally able to take them to the cafe she liked. She would have been nervous about eating inside with there being brand new items visible in the truck, but they were able to snag a seat by the windows, which faced the parking area. With her perfect reverse parking abilities, they were able to enjoy the quiet cafe while watching over everything on the back of the truck. 

"If anyone tries to steal your stuff, I'll beat them up." Sam said with some exaggerated flexing. She stifled a laugh.

"We'll beat them up together." She grinned. There was a bit of silence until their items were brought to their table. Viv had only ordered a latte and croissant, but Sam had been so interested in a lot of the items on display and had chosen to order a few, along with a latte for himself (she'd suggested it because he didn't know what to order). 

"I hope this has been fun so far." Viv said as she waited for her drink to cool.

"Definitely! It's been one of the most fun things I've done in a while." He said as he gleefully ate his food.

"Little rude to your band, don't you think?" She said with a smile.

"That's a different kind of fun, you know? Everything I do with Sebastian is fun, of course it is, but we're real limited, you know? There's only so much we can do without cars. I mean, he's got his bike, but...I really don't think I could go hours on the back of a bike. Thrills are cool and all, but that sounds like a little too much. Like what if my arms get tired? I could just let up a little bit and fly off."

"I don't think it'd be as bad as you think, but I understand the fear."

"Yeah, and he'd definitely drive all wild just to scare me. I trust that dude with my life, but not on a motorcycle." 

"That's totally valid." She laughed.

"Yeah, so what I'm trying to say is that going out into the city is a different kind of fun, and definitely feels good after being stuck in town for so long. I mean..." He trailed off, and didn't continue.

"Hm?" She sipped her drink. "What were you going to say?"

"Nah, it's lame." 

"Huh? Who cares if it's lame?"

"I care!"

"Just say it! I promise I won't judge."

"I mean...it's not a big deal. Like, it's really whatever." He took a bite of his maple bar, like he was trying to avoid the subject.

"You're literally making it worse by not saying it." 

"Okay!" He rubbed at his cheek a little bit. "I was going to say that I hope _you're_ having fun. You used to live in this city, you know? This stuff is normal to you. Normal isn't always fun, so I hope that this was fun even if it was normal."

"Sam," she said, trying not to laugh, "normal things are so fun when you do them with friends. Have you ever gone grocery shopping with a friend?"

"I've never gone grocery shopping."

"Well, it's--Hold up, you've never gone grocery shopping?"

"My mom does all the shopping." 

"You've never gone with her?"

"Not since I was a kid. So, I guess I have gone grocery shopping, but not in the last several years." 

"Do you know how much bananas cost?"

"What?"

"Do you know how much bananas cost?"

"Well...They're...I mean, they can't cost that much, can they? They're just bananas." He shrugged, like he was playing it cool, but his cheeks were a little red.

"Take a guess."

"Like, a dollar per pound or something?" He didn't look at her as he answered. She laughed lightly as she sat back.

"That's a little expensive for regular bananas."

"Well, I wouldn't know!" He sat up straighter in his seat and looked at her. "Maybe you should just take me with you sometime and I can find out."

"You're a big boy, you can go to a store and look at the banana prices yourself." She laughed when he gave an exaggerated groan.

"Can you just get on with what you were saying?"

"I can't remember what we were talking about."

"Something about grocery shopping being fun."

"Oh, so yeah, grocery shopping is fun when you're with someone you enjoy being around. Even the most mundane life tasks are fun when you do them with someone you like being around. Today would have been so boring and so exhausting without you. I would have just gotten someone else's help loading up and then driven right back to town. I wouldn't have had the energy to come here and have a nice little treat. But with someone else, I put a little more effort, 'cause I want you to have fun. And you said you did, which is something I'm really happy to hear. And I wanted to say thanks. Thanks a lot for coming with me."

"Well, what can I say? I'll do anything to get out of Pelican Town." He said with a grin. 

"I'll keep that in mind." 

"And I should thank you, too, for inviting me. I hope we can do stuff like this again, if you wanted to." He looked at the table as he said that.

"Maybe not furniture shopping. Something that we can do with my little car." She smiled watching Sam's face light up.

"I'm up for anything!"

"I'll keep that in mind, too." She said with a laugh.

Viv soon found herself back in the driver's seat, with Sam awake and energetic beside her. Driving back to town was so different from the drive to the city. Sam being awake made things so much more lively. He sang! She knew he was in a band, but she'd never thought about him singing. But he sang so well, and he knew the words to almost every song on his road trip playlist. She didn't know the words, but she tried to sing along to what she could, and her messing up brought a lot of laughs. And while the drive to the city felt a little long, the drive to town felt too short. It was like she blinked and suddenly they were turning onto her semi-clear farm.

"So I was going to just drop you off home, but I would really appreciate if you helped me set everything up."

"I would have insisted if you hadn't asked me to." He said with a chuckle.

When they first walked into the farmhouse, Sam had a real good laugh at her pathetic little lion sleeping bag set up. They spent a while getting everything together and constructed. There wasn't much personal talk while they set everything up, but the extra focus helped them finish up a lot quicker. By the time they were done, the sun was in the middle of setting. 

"It all looks really good. Definitely better than it did before." Sam said.

"I'll be sad to see the lion go."

"Everyone has to part ways sometime." He put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Shut up." She said as she lightly pushed him. "You're so mean to her, and for what?"

He laughed as he stretched. His hands almost touched the ceiling. She shuffled her feet a bit as she thought about what to say. She supposed it was time for them to say their goodbyes, but she wasn't sure how to start it.

"Well, I guess that's it for today, huh?" She watched him turn to her.

"I guess so." He said, so quiet she almost didn't hear him.

"Do you want anything before I drop you off? I have to drive the truck back to the manor so I can drop you off on the way."

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks, though." 

Viv figured Sam was quiet on the ride for the same reason she was: exhaustion. It'd really pounced on her once they'd finished setting everything up. And if his yawn and eye-rubbing were any indication, it'd pounced on him, too. She stopped right by his house, shifted into park, and turned to him.

"I really can't thank you enough. You're so nice for helping me out today. I know it was super tiring and I owe you for this." 

"Let's just hang out some more and we'll call it even." He grinned.

"I'd love that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! My sincerest thanks to everyone who gave me kudos and left comments. I kept getting kudos while away and they always surprised me. And while I had already settled on trying to come out with a new chapter this week, the comments definitely pushed me to work harder. I don't think this chapter is good enough to be worth a nearly two month wait, but it's something haha


	7. squeezing her insides into mush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent too much time researching each crop and how to grow them for me to end up not even using the information.
> 
> Also PLEASE FORGIVE ME I didn't realize it's been almost A MONTH since my last update. I've been really bad at this, I'm so sorry. I've been pretty preoccupied with finding a new job and I forgot about other things (until I got an email about someone giving me kudos lol). Unfortunately, writing cute Stardew Valley stories doesn't pay for my rent or student loans :( I wish it did :( Wouldn't that be nice? But I'll try to come out with the next chapter sooner! I'm excited for the coming scene so I hope it'll push me to go faster haha.

"Hey, it's Ms. Viv, the new farmer!"

Viv looked towards the other end of the store, where an excited-looking brunette man was waving at her. She smiled and gave a little wave as she began to make her way up to the registers. Once she was closer, he continued talking.

"I'm Pierre, owner of this general store. It's great to see a new face in town, especially one of an up-and-coming farmer." He sounded cheery and welcoming.

"Ah, thank you so much for the welcome! I'm very excited to have a life here. I haven't done any farming in my life, but I'm sure I can learn and I'm eager to do so!" Her voice sounded too loud to her ears.

"That eagerness will pay off, I'm sure. A little agriculture could really inject new life into the local economy! And if you're looking for seeds, my shop is the place to go. I'll also buy produce from you for a good price."

Viv opened her mouth to respond when a voice came from behind her. 

"A new face? Well hello there! I'm Gus, chef and owner of the Stardrop Saloon." The voice belonged to a nice-looking man peeking out from behind one of the aisle shelves. 

"H-hi! It's nice to meet you! I've heard about the saloon and how lively it gets on Friday nights." She said, almost wincing at her even louder voice.

"It sure can get a little wild, at least for a town like this." Gus said with a chuckle.

"You should stop by sometime and mingle. Fun people, smooth drinks, and great food make for a good night. Gus makes some of the best dishes in town." Pierre said. Another person telling her to go to the Saloon on Friday night.

"I can't say it's all me, though. I get a lot of my supplies from here. Pierre's got the good stuff." Gus smiled as Pierre lightly puffed up his chest in pride. "Visiting any other time is good, too. You can stop by whenever you'd like for some drinks and food, or even just a chat."

"I think anyone in town will tell you Gus is a good listener." Pierre said.

"Comes with the territory." Gus laughed.

"I'll be sure to stop by sometime!" Viv said. 

"You do that. Have a good rest of your day." Gus said as he started making his way back into the aisle.

"You, too!" Viv called out. She turned back to Pierre, who gave her a smile.

"So are you looking for seeds?"

Pierre had a few different types of crops for spring. He explained that he had different crops for each season, and that only a few grew in multiple seasons. She mentioned that she had received some parsnip seeds from Lewis, and Pierre explained their cheap buy price, low sell price, and short grow time. It was the fastest growing crop he had, but not the most profitable. That title belonged to cauliflower, but it's high buy price was a lot more than parsnip's, which made her conflicted. She had a limit for the day's trip.

Viv told Pierre that she'd look around before settling on seeds. She had to buy other things, too, like food to eat and some other household products. Once she settled on what she wanted, she had a pretty fair estimate on how much money she could spend on seeds without going over her limit. Before going back up to the seed packets by the register, she tried to do some quick research on her phone. None of it sounded _too_ hard. The big thing she needed to start out was well-draining soil, though that was something she'd found out in earlier research sessions. She'd cleared out some areas where she wanted to plant some days ago, and she just really needed to buy some soil, which Pierre did carry. Though he didn't have any fertilizers, which hopefully wouldn't be too bad for her. He said if things went well he would look into getting some on the shelves at some point, so she had to work without anything extra for the time being.

In the end, she settled on starting out with some potatoes (because they'd give her extras), green beans (because she wouldn't have to replant them), cauliflower (because they took long to grow so she figured she'd start them early), and kale (because they weren't bad in terms of profit and didn't take as long as cauliflower). She wasn't able to get much with her limit, but she took what she could. Once she had some successful harvests she might go back for the tulips and blue jazz, but the flowers didn't bring much profit, at least based on how much Pierre bought them for. Maybe once she was more comfortable she'd start planting some flowers.

It was nearly 11am when Viv finally made it out of Pierre's. She hadn't meant to spend so much time there, but her indecisiveness got the better of her sometimes. She'd placed everything she bought onto a wagon she'd found behind the farmhouse. It'd been a mess, but nothing some dedicated cleaning couldn't take care of. She figured it would be good for transporting heavy items from the shop, and she was definitely right about that. She started heading back to the farmhouse down that path that would take her by the bus stop. It was the easiest way. Shortest. Especially best when she had a wagon behind her. 

But.

Maybe...

No, no. There was no way Sam would be outside that early in the morning, even if he was awake.

But maybe she'd walk by his house anyways.

She turned and started walking towards his street, though it only lasted a few seconds before she stopped again. 

What was she even walking by his house for? What did she even want? They'd just seen each other a few days ago. They'd spent nearly a whole day together. Did friends see each other that often? She tried to think of her own experiences, but the only relationship she had that she would consider a good, real friendship was with her ex-roommate. But they'd lived together, so it totally wasn't the same. She'd hung out with other people, of course, but they would only ever talk maybe a few times a month and hang out maybe once a month. She couldn't imagine that was what friendship was really like with everyone. 

But she really didn't want to seem weird.

Jeez, it was like she wasn't even an adult! Standing in the middle of the town square debating whether to walk on a certain street or not! She'd never felt that nervous back home!

The thought punched her in the gut.

Home. 

She hadn't been in Pelican Town for very long, so of course it wouldn't feel like home yet. But that's what it was. The cute, comfortable apartment with a loving best friend in it didn't exist anymore. And she didn't want it to exist. At least not the way it did before she'd moved. Maybe if there was a chance to go back to a time where it was just her and her best friend, she'd take it, but that wasn't possible. She needed to move on.

So she started moving forward.

It was as Viv was passing the large tree by the graveyard that she realized the splash of red she saw _wasn't_ some random plant. It was a girl. A girl she turned to look at, who happened to turn towards her right at the same moment. Like two deer caught in headlights...except...they weren't facing a car, they were facing each other.

"Oh...Hello! I'm Penny..." She said as she sat up straighter. She was sitting on the ground with a book in her lap. Viv supposed it was a nice place to read, especially on a breezy day.

"Hi! My name is Viv. I just moved here." 

"Right...I heard about that." Penny smiled at her, but said no more for a few seconds so it was silent while the two of them tried to avoid prolonged eye contact.

"Did you want something?" Penny's voice was so quiet.

"Oh! Sorry, no. I'm gonna head back now. Nice meeting you." She said with a wave. Then she got away from there as fast as she could without just full-on sprinting. She stopped moving so fast once she reached the front of Sam's house, coming to a full stop near the front door. Maybe she could say hi? Meet his family? She'd already met a few people already, and getting past the first meeting would make things easier. She heard a door start to creak open and took a step back, bracing herself to see whoever was about to walk out of the house. Except it wasn't Sam's front door she heard, but the one on the house next door. A pretty blonde girl walked out and turned to walk in the opposite direction. She didn't seem to notice Viv at all. But there wasn't much time to think about the girl, as the the front door to Sam's house opened almost right after, and Sam walked out.

He looked surprised, maybe a little bit confused, but only for a second before a wide grin broke out onto his face.

"Hey, farmer. Were you coming to say hi?" He asked as he walked up closer to her. She smiled.

"I was going to, yeah." She looked down at his clothes. "Are you going to work?"

"Yup. To the horrible JojaMart. Tell me to ditch. Tell me to ditch right now." 

"No way," she said with a laugh. He placed his hands on her shoulders and lightly shook her.

"Please. I'll do it." 

"What time does your shift start?"

"At one." He said as he pulled his hands back and placed them into his pockets.

"Won't they get mad if you call out so soon before your shift? Don't some places punish you for that?"

"What are they gonna do? Fire me?" He shrugged.

"Yes?" She laughed.

"If I'm fired because my friend needed me, then so be it." 

"Maybe you can live with that, but I can't." She shook her head and took a step away from him. "Go on, then. You obviously leave your house at this time for a reason. I don't wanna keep you from your very important work."

"Oh, yeah, what'll they do without me there to mop the floors?" He scoffed. "No one even goes there anyways. Well, except for my mom. And Pam. Have you met Pam?"

"I haven't."

"Who have you met?"

"You, Lewis, Robin, Pierre, Gus, and Penny."

"You passed by Penny on your way over here, didn't you?" 

"Yeah. She seems nice."

"She is. She's just quiet." He shuffled his feet. "I guess I should...go. You have stuff to put away, anyways."

"And I have to get started on some farming today, too."

"Yeah? Best of luck with that."

"Thanks. I think I'll need it." She said with a light laugh. She watched Sam take a few hesitant steps away from her.

"Let me know how it goes. I mean, if you're not too tired." He didn't really look at her as he said that.

"You won't be too tired? Retail can be tough, even if no one is there."

"I only work like three hours. It's really nothing."

"Okay, let's talk later." She said. They waved at each other as he walked backwards away from her. It wasn't until he tripped and nearly fell that he finally turned around, red dusting his cheeks. She tried not to laugh too loudly. Once he was out of sight, she turned to make her way through the forest and back to the farmhouse.

And there was someone else there.

She needed to make a mental note not to walk around at 11am again. It was way too popular a time for people to be out and about.

The girl walking out of the forest gave Viv a small smile and stopped some few steps away.

"You just moved here, right? I'm Leah. It's so nice to meet you." She held her hand out, which Viv gently took. She remembered being told by old coworkers that weak handshakes meant a weak person, but she got the feeling that Leah wouldn't judge her for something as silly as a handshake.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm Viv." She said as she let go.

"You picked a good time to move here...The spring is lovely." She said, the smile never leaving her face.

"It is really nice. Especially the air. Feels like I can really breathe."

"You came from the city, right? I felt the same way when I moved here."

"Oh? Did you move here recently?"

"It's been over a year, I think. Long enough for me to make this my home. It can be tough starting out, so let me know you ever need advice."

"That's so nice of you. Thanks!"

"No worries. Are you heading back to your farm?"

"Yup,"

"Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for forageables in the forest. It's a great way to find fresh food." She began to slowly walk past Viv.

"Thank you so much. I'll be sure to do that. Have a good rest of your day!" Viv waved to her before turning and walking down the path towards the forest. She made sure to look around, but she didn't see anything in the immediate area. At some point she would need to explore the forest more thoroughly, preferably at a time when she didn't have perishable food items.

Viv felt a little giddy the rest of the day. There had been some awkwardness, but it wasn't too bad! It was especially good that people had been very kind to her. She was also surprised at how many people just went out of their own way to introduce themselves. That made her feel so much better about meeting everyone. And even if some people weren't as kind to her at first, she'd focus on those who were. She didn't want to let anything bring her down (especially after spending so much money on furniture and crop stuff).

After she was finished planting all her seeds, she'd felt so giddy that she practically vibrated. And once she fell back onto her bed after a much-needed shower, she had to massage her cheeks because they hurt from smiling so much. She couldn't even believe how happy such small interactions made her. It's not like anything big happened. But what did happen was a positive beginning to a new, better life. And it made her so happy she could cry. 

The phone rang, interrupting her embarrassing in-bed dance. She sat up quickly. It was probably Sam, right?? He said he wanted to chat and had been off work for a couple hours at that point. She thought he'd wait for her to call him, but maybe he was as eager to talk to her as she was to talk to him. Especially with how happy she was feeling. She took a deep breath. If she didn't mellow out a little bit, the words would come out so quickly that no one would be able to understand her.

She grabbed her phone and quickly answered the call.

Don't normal people look at the caller ID before answering phones? Why didn't she do that?

"Viv! Hey! It's been a bit since you moved and I haven't heard from you. How are things?"

It was Neva, her ex-roommate. If Viv had noticed, she wouldn't have answered.

"H-hey. I'm good. Things are good. How are you?" She tried to make herself sound tired. Maybe Neva would leave her alone sooner that way.

"Great! I miss you! It's been so weird not having you in the house. Jack agrees. He says he misses the fun movie nights you two used to have when I was working the graveyard shift. Though thank God I don't work those shifts anymore." Neva laughed. She was obviously feeling good. Feeling light. But Viv felt like someone was squeezing her insides into mush.

"I'm having a g--"

"Oh! Jack's here! Wanna talk to him?"

She was lying back on the bed, almost afraid to look down at herself. If she did, would she see herself turning inside out?

"I'm actually really tired."

"He says he'll be quick. He just wants to say hi."

"Maybe some other time?" Her question was followed by an uncomfortable silence. Neva didn't want to make her talk if she didn't want to, but she knew how persistent Jack could be.

"Call us tomorrow?" 

"Sure," she said. She hung up.

What was she supposed to do now?

She didn't feel good anymore.

Should she sleep? Hope it'll be better in the morning?

No, if she slept, then "tomorrow" would arrive more quickly. And then she'd have to talk to them.

She grabbed her pillow, put it over her face, and screamed as loud as she could. No one would hear her. She could scream as loud and as long as she wanted. But what was that going to do?

She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts. She tapped the one she wanted to call and hoped they answered.

"Viv! If I'm being honest, I didn't think you'd call." Sam sounded happy. He always did.

"You said you wanted to talk."

"Sure I did, but I would understand if you were too tired. Farming sounds exhausting." He really didn't know how much his consideration of her and her feelings meant to her.

"Hey, I know this is pretty short notice, but would you maybe want to meet up? I know you have a curfew, but it's not for another couple hours. We could hang near your house if you didn't want to go too far."

"You wanna hang out?"

"Yeah, I...I wanna get out of my head for a bit. I don't know if that makes sense."

"It makes total sense." His voice was soft. 

"Yeah, so do you want to?"

"Of course! Have you been to the pond in the forest?"

"I haven't been anywhere off the path."

"The pond is nice. There's a pier. It's a nice place to chill. How about we meet halfway and I'll lead the way to the pond?"

"You're sure you're okay going so far from your house? I'll be sure to watch the time, but what if you don't make it back before curfew?"

"If I get in trouble because my friend needed me, then so be it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.......sorry about the bummy ending. When I'd first started writing this, I was just thinking it would be sweet through and through. I like stuff like that, you know? I didn't want to write mean people or the drama that mean people stir up. But this kinda just...evolved by itself. Part of me wants to just get rid of the past trauma stuff and go back and erase any hints I'd put in, but I probably won't end up doing that. I know some topics can be triggering to people, and I will for sure put a tw when the time comes, but please let me know if there's ever anything I can do to make your reading experience better. And please know I won't ever write anything explicit. I don't like explicit descriptions of trauma, and I don't think I could ever stomach actually writing something like that. But I think a big thing I'm making this story about is healing. There's a lot of bad stuff that happens in the world and there's a lot of people out there in the process of healing. And it can be really hard sometimes. But I don't want anyone to read anything I write and come out of it feeling icky because it's just stirred up your own feelings and memories. So please keep in touch and let me know if anything makes you feel not so great. I do really care for your well-being, and I want this story to leave a positive impact, not a negative one.
> 
> ...On a lighter note, I used to think Leah was kinda boring. On my most recent save, though, I was reeled in by her beautiful, artsy, free spirit. So be prepared to see a friendship blossom! :)


	8. You, too, can be part of my scheme

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, a new chapter so soon after the previous one. I've never done this before...
> 
> It's 1am right now so if this chapter is a mess...that's why. I did read it out loud and I fixed a bunch of mistakes but I wouldn't be surprised if I missed any hehe
> 
> Also I forgot I put swearing in the tags and I've literally been avoiding making anyone swear because I didn't want to surprise anyone (except that one time in the spa chapter which I also forgot about). Wow I'm going to use so many swear words in the next chapter. It's going to be like when I was in elementary and paced around the field by myself saying random swear words because I thought it would make them part of my normal vocabulary and thus make me cool. Because swearing is cool. (This is a joke btw)

The first sign of Sam being nearby was the sound of a slap on bare skin.

"Hate mosquitos."

She walked towards the sound and found him crouched behind a bush. Her greeting made him jump.

"Jeez, Viv. Way to nearly kill a guy."

"Why are you hiding behind a bush? That's such a creepy thing to do, especially at night."

"Well, I wasn't trying to scare you, that's for sure." He stood up and stretched.

"That's so mean. Didn't you just get mad at me for scaring you? But it's okay the other way around?"

"Yeah, that's exactly the case." He started walking, beckoning her to follow. He took her off the path and deeper into the forest. It was still pretty clear in the area, but there were random plants and logs that got in the way sometimes. Sam would tell her to be careful whenever something like that was in the way. She thankfully made it to the pond without tripping over anything. Or worse: falling. 

"Wow, this place is so beautiful." She said as she took in the sight of the pond and lush greenery surrounding it. She rushed past Sam to make her way to the pier. "This wood is safe, right? I don't feel like falling in tonight." 

"I think so."

"You _think_?" 

"Night time swims are the best." He smiled as he walked past her and took a few experimental jumps on the pier. "Seems good. At least right here."

"I don't really want to drown." She took slow and careful steps until she reached the end of the pier. Sam had already taken a seat at the end, and she took the spot right next to him.

"Don't you know how to swim?" He asked.

"Uh...no, I actually don't."

"Huh. I'll teach you." He stood up. She looked up at him in confusion until he reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it off.

"What?? Right now??" She stood up, but she had no intention of getting into the water.

"No time like the present." His hands went to his pants, and she grabbed his wrists.

"You're crazy! It's not safe to swim at night."

"It's a pond. What could happen?"

"Ever hear of flesh-eating bacteria? We don't know what's in the water."

"Isn't that only an issue if you have an open wound? Do you have any?"

"Well, no--"

"Then we're good." Then he took off his pants. His pants!! 

"You can't be serious." She said. Instead of responding, he jumped into the water. He stayed under there long enough to make her worry, giving her the most annoying grin once he finally emerged.

"It feels pretty nice. You should come in." He said.

"Does it really?"

"Hmm, maybe a little cold, but still good."

"I don't wanna die."

"That's great. I won't let you."

"You're insane." She grabbed at the hem of her shirt, but didn't pull up.

"Want me to turn around?" He asked. He swam closer up to the pier and turned around. "Just get in and grab onto me when you're done."

She tried. She really did. Of course she thought it was a silly idea to swim in a pond at night, but having to take off her clothes in front of someone...that wasn't helping her get out of her head. That was pushing her deeper into parts she didn't want to be in. She stepped back away from the edge. 

"I can't." Her voice was almost a whisper. Sam turned around and grabbed a hold of the pier.

"That's okay. I shouldn't have just jumped in." He said with a laugh. "It's nice in here, though. So you can sit here while I use up some energy."

He pushed back and smiled at her as he floated deeper in. The feeling of relief his response gave Viv was something she could feel with her whole body. She sat back down and watched him swim around for a bit.

"If you start drowning, I won't be able to save you." She said, her voice still quiet.

"I'll stop before I get tired." He said.

There was a bit of silence while she watched him swim. He seemed good at it (at least from her own inexperienced perspective). His movements seemed practiced and fluid. She hoped she could get to that point sometime. Swimming always seemed fun. She loved being in the water, and it did suck that she had to confine herself to the shallow end. She wasn't even sure she knew how to float. Probably not. 

"So, I was thinking about you last Friday." Sam said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, when I was at the Stardrop with Sebastian and Abigail. I get that it can be overwhelming to go into a place with a bunch of people you don't know. And meeting all those people is tough. So I was thinking, maybe you and I could show up before everyone else gets there. We usually hang by the pool table, and if you sit right then nobody else will see you. But we can have Gus mention you or something, so people can come meet you themselves instead of you having to go up to people in the middle of a busy saloon. What do you think about that?"

That was...That was a lot. She felt so appreciative that he would take the time to come up with some way to help her meet new people and become a part of the town community. They'd only known each other for a short time, and he was already thinking up these plans to help her. Was that the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her? Maybe.

"It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into it." She finally said.

"Sure I have, but what are you feelings on it? That's the important thing."

"I think it's a smart idea."

"But...?" He asked. Was her hesitation that obvious?

"But it's hard to commit to something when I know it's going to be nerve-wracking."

"Valid. How about you sit on it and we'll check back this Friday? No worries if you end up not wanting to this Friday, or next Friday, or ever."

"Sounds like a solid plan." She smiled. 

"Great. In the meantime, how about you tell me what you plan to do when you're not taking care of plants."

"Uh, I don't know. There's some areas I haven't cleared up yet. I should probably take care of that."

"Boring. Wanna learn how to skate?"

"What?"

"I told you I skated. One of my many talents. Lewis hates it though. Yells at me to stop every time he sees me. That's why I've memorized most of his schedule. He's a man of routine, so it's not like it was hard. I like to skate, and he likes to yell at me for it, so it's better for me if I avoid him at all costs. You, too, can be part of my scheme."

"You want me to skate with you?"

"Well, I only have one board so we'll have to take turns, but we have to start with me teaching you first."

"I don't know..."

"Come on! I have no one else to skate with. I know sharing a board sounds lame, but if I save up some Joja money I could probably get an extra one."

"That would make me feel so bad."

"You'd be doing me a solid!"

"Making you teach me how to skate is me doing you a solid?"

"You're not making me do anything. I'm making you do something."

"Wow, you're so right." She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"So do you want to?"

"Maybe, but if I end up saying yes then _I'll_ be the one to save up money for another board."

"I'll take it." He said with a laugh.

Sam did eventually get out of the water to take the spot next to her again, but it was after a while. They talked more about hobbies and he judged her for not having many. She promised to try new things when she was able to, and he said he'd teach her anything he knew. Somehow she ended up offering to teach him how to drive. She didn't know how that came up...but he'd seemed a little shy about it. He gave her a solid "maybe," and she assured him that she was a good teacher and it would be easy to learn on the surrounding roads, as they were generally empty. He seemed more keen on the idea when she said that if he had his license, then they could take turns driving when they went on adventures (well, his only response was "long road trips," but he had an excited air to him when he said it).

Viv was disappointed when she noticed it was almost ten. Sam seemed disappointed, too, when she mentioned it. He stood up to put his clothes back on, and she said she'd walk with him. He said he should be the one walking her home, but it wasn't very feasible with his looming curfew. He might have been okay with getting into trouble, but she wasn't going to let that happen. 

"Are you going to bed once you get home?" He asked after a yawn.

"Probably. And you?"

"Definitely," He rubbed at his eyes.

"Thanks for hanging out with me."

"No problem. I hope you had fun."

"I did."

They reached his house a bit earlier than expected. He turned to her, looking a bit unwilling to go inside. She supposed they both were unwilling to part ways. She'd once again be alone with her thoughts once they were no longer together. As for him? Well, she didn't really know why he would feel that way. 

"I don't mean to push you back into your head, but I wanted to ask if, uh..." 

"What?" She asked after he didn't continue.

"Are you...okay?" He seemed so nervous to ask.

"I appreciate you asking." She said with a slight smile.

"So?"

"So what?"

"You didn't even answer the question."

"Didn't I?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

"What?"

"I'm okay." She said with a laugh. She pushed her hair out of her face. "I guess I'm just haunted."

"Haunted?" He looked pale. "Like ghosts? In your house? Is it your grandpa?"

"What? No!" She nearly doubled over laughing. She tried to stop when she saw how red his face got, but it only made it all funnier. 

"Okay, I was joking." He lied.

"Joking? Right, I believe that." She said, causing him to give her an exasperated shrug.

"Well, if you didn't mean ghosts, what did you mean?"

"I mean there's stuff that's happened that just won't leave my head. It's like it's haunting me."

"Stuff that happened in the city?"

"Yeah,"

"Is it that stuff that made you decide to move here?" His question made her sigh.

"I guess it was an influence. I thought I'd be able to get away from it, but it seems to have followed me. I don't know how far I'm supposed to run before it'll finally leave me alone."

"Maybe running is the best option." He was right of course, but it sounded like such a bad idea.

"Maybe. But I'm too scared to face it."

"Do you...Do you need help?"

"What do you mean? You have helped. Tonight was a huge help. You made me me feel a lot better." 

"Maybe so, but hanging at a pond doesn't solve all your problems."

"It'd be nice if it did, though."

"Sure, but it doesn't. So if you need help dealing with your issues, then I'm willing to help."

"Why?" Her question seemed to stump him.

"Well, we're friends, aren't we? That's what friends do." His response made Viv laugh. She pressed her hands to her eyes, willing herself not to start crying. It wasn't sadness trying to pull tears from her eyes. It was more the warm feeling of someone caring that was making her want to let everything go.

"You're too good for this world. Anyone ever tell you that? We haven't even known each other that long. I think I can count how many times we've talked on one hand. Definitely don't need more than two. Like, what do you even get out of being this nice to me?"

"Why do I need to get anything out of this?" His question was so genuine. He really was too good for the world.

"Okay, so here's what's gonna happen. Tomorrow I'm going to have a bad time. I have to talk to my roommate and her husband, and he and I don't have the best relationship. I'm going to do it after I finish tending crops, because I don't want to risk putting any negative energy into my growing babies. Then I'll probably have a bad night. Maybe a few bad days afterwards. So if I don't respond to any messages or calls, just know I'm wallowing and it's not your fault." She meant to have her words come off in a joking manner, but Sam's serious expression told her it didn't hit the way she wanted it to.

"Viv--"

"Look, I don't--" Viv wanted to leave. "I don't have the power to talk about my feelings right now. And I don't mean to offend you, but I definitely can't talk about my feelings with someone I've only known for a short time. It's something that I can barely even think about myself, and I've known myself for over 20 years."

"Viv--"

"So like, don't think I don't trust you or something. Clearly I do if I'm willing to hang out in a forest with you at night, which is totally not a thing some girls can say about some guys. But there's just some things that don't want to see the light of day, and what's eating me up inside is one of those things. I don't--"

"Viv, it's okay."

"Huh?" Her brain stopped.

"You don't have to explain. I get it. There are things I wouldn't want to talk to you about either, things I can barely even talk to Sebastian about, and he's been my best friend for so long. And maybe things will change in the future, maybe they won't. Whatever happens, happens."

"Sam..."

"I just want you to know I'm here, if you ever need someone to listen. I know I sometimes don't shut up, but I _do_ know how to listen." He chuckled.

"Thank you. I mean it."

"Yeah...so tomorrow I was thinking I'd spend most of the morning playing my guitar, but in the afternoon I might come out and hang by the river. I'd say maybe by the bushes in front of Lewis' place. Maybe do some cloud watching." He pointed in the direction he meant.

"That sounds nice. Calming."

"I don't know when you're going to make that call, but if you wanna hang and watch some clouds with me, you're more than welcome to. We don't even have to talk." He stared at the ground as he said that. Viv smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." She looked at her watch. It was a few minutes past ten. Sam swore.

"I guess I should head inside. You'll be okay making your way back home, right?"

"I'll be fine. It's not like there are bears around here, right?" She laughed, but something about Sam's expression made her pause. "Right??'

"I don't know. I've heard conflicting reports. Maybe you should go the bus stop way."

"Okay, yeah. I'm gonna do that." She took a step. "Goodnight, Sam"

"Goodnight."

Viv turned away from him and started walking towards the center of town. The town was mostly quiet. The only source of noise was the light sound of music coming from the Stardrop. She wondered how many people were still there that late into the night. Maybe a few. Most people were probably in their homes, either doing something quiet or sleeping. Viv yawned, thinking she was maybe ready to sleep. She wasn't ready for the coming phone call, but she was going to take it one step at a time. And the first step was sleeping.

She wondered if she could just...not call, but that idea was quickly scrapped. They'd call her every day until she answered, probably. Though surely they'd have to give up at some point. Maybe if she ignored them long enough then they'd leave her alone. That idea made her feel a little sick, because they knew her address and could possibly decide to visit her if she didn't answer their calls. Would they go that far, though? She wasn't sure and she was afraid to find out. She was also afraid of losing her friendship with Neva. Of course talking to her wasn't the same, and Viv wanted to ignore her calls more than answer them, but Neva had always been a good person. Viv didn't want to punish Neva for something she didn't even do. But there was no Neva without a husband.

Viv sighed and looked up at the sky. The moon was nearly full. Looking at it and the surrounding stars reminded her of all the nights she and Neva had spent looking for constellations in the sky. They'd never found any (thanks light pollution), but it had been fun to make shapes out of the few stars they could see. It was like cloud watching, but with less material to work with. In Pelican Town, though, there was a lot to work with. Neva would be so excited to see all the stars. Viv wished she could invite Neva down to stargaze.

She wiped a stray tear off her face. She'd really loved Neva, in more ways than she could ever admit. Leaving her best friend behind wasn't something she'd ever wanted to do, but sometimes life forced tough decisions on people. She wouldn't have been happy staying near Neva. And she wanted to be happy. 

She just wished being happy was easier.


	9. She wanted distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi <3 How are you? Hope you're all doing well.
> 
> A couple chapters ago I told myself I'd put myself into a two week routine. I'd post a chapter, spend a week not thinking about it, and then spend the next week working on the next chapter. That would put me at a chapter every two weeks, which I think is a nice schedule, because I get so stressed when I try to force myself to come out with a chapter a week (which is what I used to do when I wrote Naruto fic several years ago...embarrassing). But obviously that's not what's happening. I've been in this wild writing mood lately, hence the three chapters coming out in the span of a few days, which is not normal for me. Usually writing is very hard lol. But it's cool to actually feel happy and excited about a hobby. Haven't felt that in a while LOL
> 
> Anyways I was thinking of changing up the description. It was just something silly I wrote when I first started, but I think maybe I should write an actual summary. I guess I'll work on that...sometime.

Viv was sitting cross-legged on her bed with her phone in front of her. She'd spent the past twenty minutes staring at it, as if staring was going to solve all her problems. She reached out her hand to grab her phone, but her heart started beating so fast it had to be unhealthy, so she pulled back. She rubbed at her face. There wasn't really a way to get out of this without telling Neva why she didn't want to talk, so the next best thing was getting it over with sooner rather than later. She could make some excuse that would keep the call short, maybe a few minutes. And once that call was done, she could probably go a while without having to talk to them again. So that was it: the best thing was for her to just do it.

She grabbed her phone and plopped back onto her pillows with a groan. She pulled up Neva's contact info and hit the call button. The ringing sounds made her heart feel like it was about to explode. It got worse and worse the longer she had to wait. It just kept ringing, and she really thought she might die if she had to wait longer. When one of the rings stopped in the middle, her breathing stopped, too.

"Viv, hey." The voice was smooth and deep. She needed to breathe.

"Hi," she said, her voice nothing more than a squeak. Her right hip began to itch, and she lifted her shirt to scratch at it.

"Neva's in the shower, but I didn't want to leave our Viv hanging." Jack said. She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Okay," she said.

"How's it going?"

"Good. You?"

"Same as always. It's quiet here without you. There's no one to watch shitty movies with."

"You have Neva." She was breathing too fast, she had to calm it down. His voice went lower as he told her it wasn't the same. Her eyes squeezed shut. She didn't want to hear him talk like that. "You could find something new to do that you both like."

"You're full of good ideas, aren't you, Viv?" He probably smirked as he said that. Viv could imagine it so perfectly.

"Not always."

"You're selling yourself short, don't you think?" The tone of his voice made her more desperate to end the conversation. It would be weird to hang up so early into the call, but she couldn't take it anymore.

"I can't talk long." 

"So how long can you talk?"

"No I mean I have to go." The words rushed out of her mouth.

"So soon?" 

"Yeah." She had to force herself not to apologize.

"I'll tell Neva you say hi. Take care."

"Bye," she hung up. She sat up and stared at her phone screen for a bit before she had to get up and run to the bathroom. She felt like she was going to be sick, and she didn't want to make her day worse by having to clean up puke. She braced her hands on the bathroom sink and breathed as slowly and deeply as she could. There was a stinging sensation by her right hip. When she looked, she saw that her shirt had small red stains, and underneath was raw, red skin. She had been itchy, but she didn't realize she'd scratched enough to break skin. She grabbed a rag to clean herself up and willed herself not to cry. When things first started going downhill in the city, she'd had a bruise on her hip so bad that she couldn't do anything without hurting. Even after it healed, it was like her body didn't want her to forget. But that's what she wanted most. She wanted to forget everything and life was making it so difficult on her.

Once she'd changed her shirt, she sat back down onto her bed. She felt exhausted. Maybe a nap would help her. Maybe she could nap forever. She sighed. If she napped forever, then who would water her plants? They would die, and she didn't want them to die. And if she really thought about it, she didn't want to nap either. It was the early afternoon, there was so much day left. The best thing to do would be to be productive, though she wasn't sure what there was for her to do. Keep clearing out the rest of the farm? Forage in the forest? Meet more people? It all sounded exhausting. 

She looked at the time on her phone. There wasn't much to do early in the afternoon on a Tuesday. Even if she didn't want to nap, maybe one would be good. It'd help her pass the time, and she wouldn't have to think about anything. Unless she dreamed...but she'd just have to hope that she didn't. She rolled over onto her side and hugged a pillow close to her. Afterwords, she'd do something productive. That was for sure. 

⟣

When she woke up, the first thing she noticed was how warm she was. Too warm. She stretched before sitting up and noticed how dry her mouth was. She looked around for her phone. She grabbed it off the edge of the bed and tried to turn it on. Dead. She sighed as she went to plug it into the charger. She got up to heat up some water. While the kettle worked, she went back to her phone. 

There was an unnecessary amount of notifications. Neva, Robin, Sam, and even her dad were sprinkled into the mix. She started opening up each text and voicemail. With the exception of Robin and her dad (who only recently called to ask how she was holding up), everyone else was leaving messages asking where she was and if she was okay. Which was so bizarre to her. Maybe she hadn't checked her phone in a while, but it couldn't have been that long. She checked to see the earliest message: a text from Sam from a week ago asking if she was going to join him for cloud watching after all.

Had she...Had she really not checked her phone for a week? She could barely remember. She knew she took a nap after The Call, and after that it was a bit of a blur, but she knew that she had been focusing. That's what she'd decided to do when she'd woken up from that nap: focus. She didn't realize that in the process, she'd ignored everyone for a week. It wasn't like she meant to do that. She just...forgot? Or maybe she just didn't want to talk to anyone. She had a right to do that...didn't she?

She started the process of responding to everyone. She texted Neva a short text apologizing for her absence and promising she'd call sometime soon. She called her dad, who didn't answer because he was probably asleep on the couch while sports played on TV, and left a voicemail saying she was doing great and was learning lots of new things and she hoped he and mom were great, too. She told him she promised to pick up the next time one of them called. She called Robin, who did pick up, and had a little chat about her house and ongoing projects. Robin brought up the possibility of a coop or barn, but Viv didn't have the means for that just yet. Finally, she texted Sam. He was the hardest one of the bunch. She felt really bad for leaving him hanging for a week.

On Tuesday he said: _Hey I'm out watchin some clouds. Do you think you're up for coming by?_

On Friday: _Sebastian is totally kicking my ass at pool. You should come watch me suffer. Abby wants to meet you too_

On Sunday: _Hope you're okay. Lmk if you need anything_

A week wasn't that long, but she felt rude not having responded. She debated on what she wanted to send while she made tea. She didn't want it to be short and borderline-cold like the one she'd sent Neva. Maybe calling would be better? But that might be more awkward. Should she invite him someplace where they can talk? But what would they even talk about? She didn't want to explain anything, so that seemed like too much. She didn't owe him some giant explanation. She was an adult with responsibilities. Sometimes time got away from her. 

_Hey Sam. Sorry I haven't been answering your texts. I've been okay, just focusing. Farms are a lot of work. Hope I see you around town soon!_

It wasn't exactly the kind of message she wanted to send, but it was something. She finished up the last of her tea and put the empty mug in the sink. She felt like doing something, but she wasn't sure what. She'd taken care of some basic chores in the morning, so there wasn't much else to do on the farm except the extra exhausting stuff she wasn't ready to stop putting off.

She walked down her porch steps and towards the southern exit. A walk would be good for her, and maybe passing by the forest would make her want to forage. Though when she actually reached the forest, it wasn't the wilderness that reeled her in, but Leah. She'd been standing by the river, looking deep in thought. Viv felt bad about it, but she'd scared the poor girl. After some small talk, Viv confessed that she hadn't yet tried foraging, so Leah offered to show her around the forest. Of course Viv said yes. And she was glad she did. There were just batches of spring onions growing in the forest! Free ones! Ones she could use to cook in her teeny-tiny poor excuse for a kitchen. Finding them was almost magical, and Leah assured her that there would be more, so it was always good to check the area regularly in the springtime. 

They parted ways after Leah lent Viv a sack to carry everything she'd found. Leah went back into the forest to hang at the pond and Viv walked into town. In the middle of foraging, she'd remembered a letter she got from a man named Willy asking her to visit him at the beach. According to Leah, he ran the fish shop. Neither of them could think of what he wanted to talk to her about, but Leah said he was nice so it couldn't be anything bad. 

Though by the end of her meet-up with Willy, whether it was bad or not was probably up to personal taste. He was definitely a nice man. Who other than a nice person would give a stranger a fishing pole and teach them how to fish? She'd been so taken aback by the kind offer. In theory, fishing sounded like a great idea. Not only could she learn to cook them and thus have free food, she could also sell them and use the money on other necessities. It sounded like a total win. In practice, though, fishing was a different story. It was mostly boring, and fish were a lot ickier than she'd ever thought they'd be. She thanked him a million times, but as she was walking away, she wondered how often she would even end up fishing. Maybe she'd learn to appreciate the quiet calm that came with fishing. Or maybe she'd just be bored out of her mind.

It was just past the bridge leading out of the beach that Viv and Sam bumped into each other. She almost swore. Not that she didn't want to see him, but she didn't expect to so soon after her text.

"Hey, I didn't think I'd see you out here. Is that a fishing pole?" He asked. She held it up.

"Yup. Willy taught me how to fish." She said. Sam whistled.

"That sounds pretty gnarly."

"Little boring, actually. But I might learn to love it. Who knows?" She adjusted her grip on her sack. "I also went foraging with Leah. I got a bunch of stuff. Wanna see?"

Sam gave her an enthusiastic yes and led her down to a tree that was almost too close to the sewer for comfort. He said he always played games there, sometimes with Sebastian, sometimes without him. There was no Sebastian that day, though. Viv wasn't sure if she felt relieved or not. She and Sam were getting closer, and she wondered if she should try harder to get to know his other friends, too. Especially Sebastian. The two of them were best friends, and she wanted Sebastian to think of her positively.

"That's a lot of spring onions." Sam said as she dumped out her findings. He was right. There were a lot. It was most of what she had, with some wild horseradish and leeks sprinkled in. She wasn't sure if she wanted to keep everything, as she didn't even know what kind of thing she would eat them with. And maybe there were more onions than she could use. She thought maybe she could sell some of her findings to Pierre. Did he take foraged items?

"How long were the two of you foraging?" Sam asked. He picked up an onion to closely inspect.

"A little over an hour, I think. Then I went and spent a while with Willy. And now I'm here." She smiled at him. "What were you up to?"

"I did some cloud-slash-river watching at the bridge with Penny."

"Oh? Are the two of you friends?"

"I guess you could say that. She teaches my little brother. Did I ever tell you that?" He watched her shake her head. "Yeah, there isn't like, a school around here, but there are kids and Penny decided to teach them. I think Vince has learned a lot from her."

"Wow, that's admirable."

"She's an admirable girl. At least I think so." He smiled to himself. He looked up at her. "How's your day been, anyways?"

"I didn't really do much in the morning. There wasn't much to do. I think I'll have some parsnips ready to harvest in the coming days, but they aren't quite there yet. All I really have to do at this point is make sure everything has enough water."

"That's so exciting."

"Sure, but it makes me really nervous."

"They'll be great. And even if they're not, I'll still eat them." He said with a grin.

"I appreciate that." She said. She saw Sam bite his lip.

"Can I ask..." He didn't finish, but she knew what he wanted to say. 

"I'm okay, if that's what you're wondering. I think I'm...better, maybe. I mean, for now." She said with a bitter laugh.

"For now?"

"We'll see how things go."

He didn't seem to know what to say to that. She didn't blame him. It's not like she'd even tell him what was really going on. What was he supposed to do? And it's not like she wanted comfort. She wanted distraction. So unless he had some kind of magic spell to make her forget her life in the city, then the best thing he could do was just keep talking. But at that moment, he wasn't doing any talking, which left her time to think. And she definitely didn't want to think.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" She asked. 

"I don't really have any. Before I saw you, I was just gonna play a game here until dinner time. I don't know what I'll do after dinner. Maybe some songwriting. What about you?"

"I'm honestly not sure. I'll probably make some food and then...I don't know. I was thinking of going into the city sometime to go to a library and get a library card. They have apps and stuff now that you can use to check out ebooks. I think reading would be a good way to pass the time."

The look on Sam's face made her laugh.

"Sorry, I'm not the biggest fan of reading."

"No? Well, I guess I can't invite you on my trip."

"Hold on. I actually love reading. Please invite me." He said, his voice filled with desperation. She chuckled.

"Hmm, I don't know. I get this feeling you're lying to me. Like a feeling in my gut. You know they always tell you to listen to your gut."

"What? Who said that? Never listen to your gut."

"Oh, really? Wow, I've learned more today than I ever have before." She said with a laugh. "You're invited, regardless of whether you do or don't like reading. I only want to get a card, anyways. We won't stay at the library long. We can do something else."

"You're actually the best. Last time I went to the city with Sebastian when he wanted to get a book and it was the worst trip. Can you believe we just went to the bookstore and then came back? He didn't even want to go anywhere else. How boring."

"So Sebastian likes reading?" 

"Yeah, I guess you two are perfect for each other." He said with a chuckle.

"I think there's a little more to compatibility than whether we like reading or not." She twiddled her thumbs. "If you wanted...you could invite Sebastian. And Abigail if she wanted to do something in the city. I'll take requests."

"Really?" He didn't have to look so surprised.

"Yeah. I mean, they're your friends, too. They must be cool if you're friends with them. So if they wanted to join, then you can tell them to feel free. Maybe it'll be a little awkward, but I think it'll be fun, too. What about you?"

"Well, I always have fun with them, and I always have fun with you. Mixing the two must mean it'll be double fun, right? That's how things work?" He chuckled. "I'll bring it up to them. I can't say for sure if they'll be up for it, though. Abigail probably will be, but I don't know about Sebastian."

"Do you think he'll like me?" She didn't want to look at Sam while asking such a silly question.

"I think so. You're like the opposite of the kind of people Sebastian hates. But like I said before, it takes him a while to warm up to people. Maybe we could hang before the trip to get him a little warmed up. If that was okay with you? We can even wait on inviting them until after you really meet them."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." She sighed. "Maybe we should do that idea you had. For the saloon."

"Getting there before everyone else?" Sam's eyes lit up. "Let's do it! This Friday?"

"Yeah," 

"That'll be wicked cool. You'll love it. I promise!" He seemed so excited, and she couldn't help letting that excitement rub off on her. Just a little bit.

"I'll hold you to that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was an okay chapter to read! Thanks for reading and I hope life treats you well. Until we next meet <3
> 
> If anyone wants to chat sometime, you can find me on twitter @ [sscallalily](https://twitter.com/sscallalily)  
> I don't really tweet/retweet much and only really use it to look at cute art, but feel free to DM me x) I'm lonely :'(


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